Fennel & Orange Salad Recipe

| French Cuisine
Fennel & Orange Salad Recipe

Fennel & Orange Salad

This is a straightforward Fennel & Orange Salad recipe. One of the reasons I like it is that you can prepare the dish some time in advance and it won’t spoil. Salads and crudités are much more forgiving because timing and temperature are usually less of an issue.

Remember that if you press your oranges, rolling them onto a hard surface, will loosen the skin and make the pith easier to take off.

Be stern with the fennel – it’s to be eaten raw so make sure you discard the discoloured and dried up outer layers. How fine you slice it is up to you. We like ‘wafer thin’ because we think it absorbs and shares the flavours better.

Everybody serving themselves from one big dish is an informal way of serving and its good for groups who know each other well. Individual plates are good for a more formal situation, or for larger groups but are more work and will often need more kitchen space.

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Ingredients

Serves 6

For the dressing

  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fennel leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons cream
  • Half a teaspoon salt
  • Half a teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

  • 1 large Fennel bulb
  • Half a red onion (cut stem to root)
  • 2 oranges
  • 50g torn salad leaves such as rocket and mixed lettuce
  • 12/16 lovely green olives
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fennel leaves for the garnish

Method

  • In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the dressing and let it stand for 1 or two hours at room temperature to allow the flavours to blend.
  • Trim away the top of the fennel bulb and remove any brown or tough outer layers. Cut the fennel into julienne strips and place in a glass bowl.
  • Cut the onion lengthwise into thin slices and add it to the bowl with the fennel.
  • Cut one orange in half crosswise. Squeeze the juice from one half of the orange and add the juice to the bowl. Turn the fennel strips and onions slices, coating them with the juice. Let it stand for 1 hour at room temperature.
  • Remove the rind from the remaining 1 and a half oranges and slice it into thin slivers. Set aside.
  • Cut the oranges crosswise into 5mm thick slices. Remove any pips and trim away the white pith. Refrigerate the slices until you are ready to assemble the salads.

To assemble – arrange a bed of mixed salad and top with the fennel and onion. Place the orange slices on the top. Drizzle the salad with the dressing. Garnish with the olives, orange rind and fennel leaves.

Bon Appetite 🙂

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