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If you’ve never eaten grilled lettuce, you’re in for a nice surprise. When you grill a relatively hearty lettuce like romaine, the edges become crispy from the grill, not to mention tender and smoky. Grilling lettuce brings a whole new dimension to a vegetable you think you know well and turns a simple salad into something memorable. This recipe was inspired by a dish of grilled escarole with burned garlic, lemon juice, and good olive oil that I had at an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia. I couldn’t get enough of it, and hope you feel the same about this grilled salad. — from Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces by Bill Kim with Chandra Ram. Buy this book from Penguin Random House, Indiebound, or Amazon.
Reprinted with permission from Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces, copyright © 2018 by Bill Kim with Chandra Ram. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2018 by Johnny Autry.
Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, water, garlic, and chilies in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months. Or freeze in standard ice-cube trays, then transfer the cubes (2 tablespoons each) to plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months.
Heat the grill for direct heat cooking to medium-high (400°F to 450°F).
Brush the lettuce with the oil. Place the romaine halves, cut side down, on the grill grate and cook for 1½ minutes. Flip the romaine over and grill for another 1½ minutes, until lightly charred.
Transfer the lettuce, cut side up, to a serving platter. Pour the Nuoc Cham Sauce over the romaine, top with the feta and cilantro, and serve.
