Salade de Bourcette

If you happen to be in Normandy around and after Christmas, you are sure to encounter lamb’s lettuce. This soft, tongue-shaped leaf grows in little clumps or bouquets, a number of leaves joined loosely at the base: it’s a favourite decoration for meat and poultry but above all it is a favourite salad. The normal French name, often used in this country by nurserymen, is mâche: it has local names, too, pet names almost, such as doucette which refers to its softness, and bourc