My numerous trips to Italy to source fresh-pressed olive oil have led to my fondness for fennel, a cousin of celery with the taste of mild licorice, and a veggie totally underappreciated here. It’s the perfect complement for oranges—you’ll see them together in many dishes.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from the navel orange (below)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
- 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
- 1 navel orange
- 2 blood oranges
- 1 small red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
Directions
Step 1
Make the dressing: Zest the navel orange and add the zest to a large bowl with the lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until well blended. Set aside.
Step 2
Prep the fennel: If you have a full bulb with the dill-like fronds, reserve a handful of fronds to chop and use as a garnish. Cut off the rest of the green stalks and the root end. Cut the bulb in two lengthwise, from the top to the root. Use a paring knife to carefully cut out the hard core at the base of each half. Then cut the fennel into thin slices as you would an onion and add to the bowl with the dressing. Toss well.
Step 3
Score the oranges and peel off the rinds and as much of the pith as possible, then slice the oranges horizontally. Peel the onion and cut into thin rounds.
Step 4
To serve, arrange the orange and onion slices in a circular pattern on 2 plates or dishes. Top with equal amounts of the tossed fennel and garnish with chopped mint and reserved fennel fronds, if available.
Yields 2 servings