Lettuce, Parmesan, Dill and Mint Cakes

millie's lettuce, parmesan,
dill & mint cakes

Makes 18-20

Millie Sherman is one of the best cooks
I know. I was fortunate to work with her
for a time and she is not only a wonderful
cook but a generous teacher and good
friend. She came up with the recipe for
these somewhat unusual little cakes,
and they're absolutely divine.

4 firmly packed cups (240g) finely
shredded cos lettuce
4 eggs
1 cup (160g) finely chopped red onion
4 cups (280g) fresh white breadcrumbs
70g parmesan, finely grated
2 tbs finely chopped dill
2 ½ tbs finely chopped mint
1 cup (100g) fine dry breadcrumbs
Olive oil, to shallow-fry
Lemon wedges and good-quality
mayonnaise, to serve

In a large bowl, toss lettuce with 2 tsp salt.
Tip it into a colander and leave it to drain
for 1 hour. Once drained, wrap it in a clean
tea towel and squeeze the lettuce very
tightly to remove as much moisture as
you can, then shake the lettuce with your
fingers to fluff it up a bit. Set aside.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until light
and slightly foamy. Add lettuce, onion,
fresh breadcrumbs, parmesan, dill and
mint, and season. Mix to combine well.
Line a small baking tray with baking
paper. Roll small amounts of the mixture
between your palms to form patties about
the size of golf balls. Roll them in the dry
breadcrumbs to thinly coat, then sit on the
prepared tray. (You can make the patties
ahead and refrigerate overnight. They still
taste delicious, but they lose some of their
bright green colour.)
Heat a shallow layer of oil in a large
frypan over medium heat, then fry the
patties, in batches if necessary, for
2 minutes each side or until golden brown.
They should be lovely and crisp outside
and tender inside. Remove with a slotted
spoon and drain on paper towel.
Serve these either warm or at room
temperature. They look great piled up
on a platter - just scatter with a few extra
herbs. They're terrific with just a squeeze
of lemon juice, but they're best, I think,
dunked into a bowl of mayonnaise.

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