Lettuce Steaks with Mint Syrup

This is eaten as a dish all on its own in hot weather in Iran – it is incredibly refreshing. Traditionally it is romaine lettuce that is used, but I happily substitute iceberg, which can be cut into neat ‘steaks’. The syrup featured here, sekanjabin, is quite versatile – I add it to all sorts of dishes. It was devised originally as a shabat (sherbet) – a cordial to have over ice in the summer, but its culinary applications are far more interesting to me.