This is a very simple but refreshing tasting salad. It can be made throughout the year and a particularly good recipe for the winter months when salads are sparse. It also works really well if served with oily rich foods. So I often serve it during the festive season. It’s great to use with left over meats for a buffet and also good when we have to buy salad ingredients way in advance. You can omit the rocket and just use the fennel and oranges, as they will last for several days in the fridge.
The trick with this salad is to make sure the fennel is as finely chopped as possible. Blood oranges when in season make a great colour contrast, but ordinary ones work just as well, or use pomegranate seeds, to give some extra colour to the salad.
Ingredients
- 3 large fennel
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice [1large lemon] or 1 orange segmented and juiced
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 packet of rocket salad [watercress is a good substitute]
- 2-3 blood oranges [optional for decoration]
- 1 ripe pomegranate [optional]
- Salt and pepper
Preparation Instructions
Cut the fennel in half through to the base, across the stems and remove the triangular shaped root part of the fennel. I think this is too tough for this delicate salad.
Finely slice the fennel and place in a bowl, adding the lemon juice or orange juice and olive oil immediately to prevent the fennel from discolouring.
Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley just before serving.
Place on the rocket salad and serve straight away with orange segments and or pomegranate seeds.
The fennel can be prepared in advance and left to marinate a couple of hours before hand. Avoid using a carbon steel knife when slicing the fennel to keep them as white as possible.
