Sicilian citrus and fennel salad

Name: Sicilian citrus and fennel salad
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 fennel bulb; 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; ½ tsp crushed fennel seeds; 1 tbsp honey; flaky sea salt; 3 blood oranges (or the best navel oranges you can find); 40g red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds; 40g pitted black olives; 10g salted capers, rinsed; 30g toasted almonds, roughly chopped; 4g fresh mint leaves; 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Sicilian); 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

Danielle Alvarez

August 23, 2024

This citrus salad ticks sweet, savoury, salty and sour.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

This bright and cheerful citrus salad can bounce anyone out of the winter doldrums. Citrus fruits are at their peak right now: they’re sweet and flavourful with just the right amount of acidity.

This classic combination is a riff on a traditional Sicilian citrus salad, but it still hits all the right taste notes: sweet, savoury, salty and sour. It’s so good you won’t want winter to end (maybe!).

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 tbsp honey
flaky sea salt
3 blood oranges (or the best navel oranges you can find)
40g red onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
40g pitted black olives
10g salted capers, rinsed
30g toasted almonds, roughly chopped
4g fresh mint leaves
1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Sicilian)
1½ tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

Method

Step 1
Heat a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat. If you need to, cut the top fronds from the head of fennel and reserve for garnish. Cut the bulb through the root end into 12 or so wedges, so that the wedges stay intact.
Step 2
Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and then place the fennel wedges in the pan in one flat, even layer. Brown both sides (about 2-3 minutes each side) and then turn the heat off. Add the fennel seeds, honey and some flaky sea salt and toss the fennel through the mixture. Set aside to come to room temperature.
Step 3
Peel the oranges by cutting a thin sliver from each end so that each one sits flat on your board. Then, using a small sharp or serrated knife, gently follow the curve of the orange, cutting off any white pith while leaving as much fruit as possible. Slice into 1cm-thick slices, discarding any seeds you see.
Step 4
Rinse the red onion under cold running water for a couple of seconds to neutralise some of its harshness.
Step 5
Arrange the fennel and orange slices on your platter and sprinkle with the onion, olives, capers, almond, mint leaves and dried oregano. Roughly chop some of the fennel fronds, if you have them, and use as an extra garnish. Evenly sprinkle the whole salad with a pinch of flaky sea salt, the red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar) and remaining olive oil before serving.

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