Lettuce stems are tasty and very economical. A pair of these stems cost under $2. They are also very easy to prepare, require little to no skill.

First of all, you’d need to remove the fibrous sheath of the lettuce stems. Once you’ve removed the outer sheath, it should look something like this.

Next, slice the stems diagonally. Some folks like it paper thin, but I prefer slices about 0.5cm thick.

I fry this like any vegetable. First the garlic in oil, then the stems go in with oyster sauce and a bit a sugar for seasoning. Finally a bit of Chinese cooking wine.

The stems are crunchy and very flavourful. Do try this at home.