Grilled Romaine Recipe (2024)

For a week-night prep I made this on the stovetop using my cast-iron skillet pre-heated to very hot and coated with a little vegetable oil. Then, taking it off the heat I brushed the dressing on, added cheese, and covered the skillet for a bit. Really good. Kind of a takeoff on the Caesar without the croutons (which might make a good addition!.)

My wife said make this.
I said really?
Yes.
Hmmmm. Okay.
I did.
Not sure whom to thank more, my wife or Sam Sifton.
Sorry Sam. Wife always wins.
But truly a surprisingly good little recipe.

instead of croutons you can put it over a slice of grilled bread rubbed with garlic

Greens are crossing the line between what to eat raw, and what to cook. Love this cooked Romaine. I just split it in half rather than quarters, and it held together well on the grill.

This is fabulous! Just made it tonight for the 4th time. I get a package of organic romaine hearts and cut them in half. We grill two heads (4 halves) each time, eat two at dinner, and have two left for the next day. The dressing I made the first time has been sufficient for all four times. A real winner!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCFIlWDkfo0

A question. Do wash the romaine lettuce before grilling? If so, how?

This doesn’t work if the lettuce is soggy from washing. If you do wash the lettuce it must be completely dry (including in between the leaves).

I sometimes use anchovy paste, especially when serving to anti-anchovy guests. Speeds up prep and can be slipped in, often undetected. Yes, I know....not particularly gratifying for the purists among you.

The grilled lettuce (pan grilled, since it was raining hard here in Seattle) was very good, but the dressing is fantastic. I've been enjoying it on everything from tossed greens & tomatoes to shopped cabbage. Really excellent.

Is it ever too cold to light the grill?

Maybe the best thing I have ever made to serve in the summertime alongside mixed grill! I've had grilled romaine at restaurants, but none as good as this. Thank you, Sam Sifton.

Make this. You won't regret it. Use the anchovies even if you don't like anchovies. This is crazy delicious,

So good. I bought too much romaine and wouldn’t have tried this otherwise. For me, it was a stovetop griddle. Fish sauce instead of anchovies as that was on hand. 30 seconds per side. For the stovetop would recommend just starting with the dressing on the cut side. Croutons and fresh lemon juice would be welcome.

I used 3/4 of the oil given the comments, and then only used about half the dressing. Served with crumbled bacon (and then sautéed the romaine in the drippings), a runny egg, and garlic toast. Great lunch/light dinner. Also a great way to use up a lot of romaine when you forget and buy a 2nd 5-pack at Costco...

Really good - the dressing was a bit heavy for us but it might be because I didn't use as many romaine hearts. Will definitely make again.

Because I already had them on hand, I used hearts of romaine instead of full heads, and instead of quartering them, I halved them. I think using hearts was a mistake. I found the finished recipe very oily, and I had leftover dressing. If I get the chance, I'll try the recipe again with full heads of romaine, but if I make it again with hearts of romaine, I'll halve the recipe for the dressing.

Followed recipe exactly and it was fantastic. Delicious and fun to serve such a different thing at a dinner party. Raves all around.

This was delicious! I cooked it in a pan on the stove and it was perfect. Dressing was easy to make and so good. Added a fried egg and called it lunch. Perfection!

Veganized by using a little vegan fish sauce in place of anchovies. Used Napa cabbage. Shaving!

Question: how long will the dressing keep in the frig?

I often grill Romaine for wedge salads. Cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, capers, a quality crumbled bleu and a vinaigrette based on preserved lemon and truffle oil brings it home. Dang, now I'm hungry again.

Really loved this. It was a big giant hit. Added the cheese after the grill, because I forgot about it while it was on the grill. I also took the lettuce inside, chopped it up and put it in a bowl. Serving the quartered heads felt like a pain in the butt in a cookout setting.Also, make sure to leave the bottom of the lettuce on, which helps it keep its shape on the grill. Remove it after the fact.

We hadn’t made this in a long long time but remembered it today and got to it. So so simple, delicious and speedy to make. Takes a simple meal of burgers to the next level.

I used a 4 inch by 4 inch square if nori instead of annchovies. Delicious!

How do you wash the lettuce?

Delicious. Just ate it, and already looking forward tovthe next round. The dressing is great for, well, everything. We had it on the salad plus with the grilled corn on the cob, potatoes, and steaks.

Used anchovies because I did not read, but they were fine and added the desired taste and texture. Also doubled the garlic, because I always do, but it is too much. But the dressing still tastes great and I look forward to grilling the romaine later.