Lettuce Gratin with Bacon and Chorizo

Can you spot it?  The lettuce that is?  In this gratin theres about 500grams of it!  Who would have thought it!  Or maybe I should say 'Hugh' would have thought it!  I found this recipe at the weekend whilst looking for something to do with two rather large heads of lettuce.
Its another classic from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a Lettuce Gratin. 


Time to prepare and cook: 35 minutes
Cost of ingredients approx: £6
Changes to recipe:  Added Chorizo and Red Peppers
Tricky bits:  None!
The full recipe is after the break......serves 4


500 grams of Cos lettuce
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
20g butter (I used light spray)
150g unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into small pieces - I used 100grams of bacon lardons and 50 grams of Chorizo
3 bunches spring onions - I also added a red pepper
100g baby peas or frozen petits pois
3 tbsp double cream (optional)
100g coarse breadcrumbs

1. Heat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5
2. Trim base of lettuces, cut horizontally into 5cm-thick chunks
3. Put lettuce in large bowl, add oil and some salt and pepper, toss and transfer to a shallow oven dish around 28cm x 22cm. 
4. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the lettuce is wilted and tender
5. Whilst lettuce is roasting:
6. Heat
   butter\light spray in a small frying pan over a medium heat
7. Add the bacon\ chorizo, cook for a few minutes until starting to colour.
8. Trim the spring onions, slice diagonal into chunky, 2cm pieces, add to the bacon pan,
9. Cook gently for five minutes, until tender, season.
10. Cook peas lightly in salted boiling water until tender
11. Drain peas and add to bacon pan
    When the lettuce comes out of the oven, heat grill to medium
12. Spoon bacon mix over the lettuce, leave a good amount of fat in the pan
13. Pour cream over bacon mix
14. Add breadcrumbs to the frying pan, stir so they absorb the bacon oils, then scatter over the lettuce. 
15. Grill for a few minutes, until golden and crisp on top, and serve at once.