…or the most divisive lettuce? I’m a huge salad lover — who knew! — and find there’s a place for every lettuce. Even iceberg.
I find it to be versatile & enjoy its fresh crunch, with a clean smell occasionally reminiscent of cocaine.
My favorite uses are stir-frying it with oyster sauce (fastest lunch ever), adding it to sandwiches to provide kronch and freshness, never mind a good wedge salad where it decidedly plays a starring role. I find it stands up well to heavier dressings like ranch & blue cheese, not even wilting overnight.
Iceberg is the only lettuce for American hard shell tacos, as far as I’m concerned.
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Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
6
I shall take your word for that.
We’ve returned to iceberg fairly recently. There’s usually been a much more interesting lettuce for salad. But we’ve come across charring it and serving it warm as a vegetable.
And old favourite was to very briefly blanch leaves so they become pliable but still a bit crisp. Then stuff them with a cooked rice and spiced lamb mince mix. Then bake for a while to heat through. Middle Eastern spicing is a favourite and goes well with the lamb but I’m sure other seasonings would work well with beef or pork mince.
I remember when iceberg first made its appearance in German supermarkets, where the default was bibb/Boston lettuce for as long as I can remember. My mom immediately hopped on the ‘exotic’ new food, but I always had a preference for bibb. Still do most of the time.
I absolutely prefer iceberg on my burgers and on something like a club sandwich. There is no other lettuce quite as crispy and crunchy. And in tacos (as posted above) it’s a must.
I actually always use it in any mixed lettuce salad as well. That crunch just can’t be matched.
Wedge salad, regular salads, in sandwiches (LOVE the crunch it gives to a meatloaf or Turkey & Swiss sandwich!), or on a burger; to use as a lettuce wrap or cup (pork mince with ginger, etc.), shredded for tacos (although I don’t eat those that much at home).
I hate iceberg lettuce. I will give you the crunch thing, and for me it’s the only redeeming quality to this so called lettuce. I would rather use other things to give the crunchy texture, but I agree that there may be some foods where some shredded iceberg is the only viable option for presentation, for serving, etc. Other than that, the only other good use for lettuce is that it can line your plate when they bring out the real food that matters.
I cannot think of anything more bland than iceberg lettuce, and I love all forms of tofu, prefer to drink water, and generally enjoy mild and subtle foods. But iceberg “flavor” (if you can call it such) is not subtle - it’s invisible and completely non-existent. So many better lettuces for salads, for sandwiches. Nutritionally, it doesn’t hurt you, which in today’s world is actually rather positive, but it doesn’t even offer that exciting a profile for nutrition. It has fiber…so it’s an alternative to taking metamucil, I guess.
Edit: Yes, tongue is planted somewhat in cheek here. No, I really do hate iceberg, but it’s not a burning passion.
