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Writer's pictureNava

Orange and fennel salad

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I came across a photo of an orange, olive and Spanish onion salad.

The bright orange caught my eye and my mouth started to water as I pictured myself tucking into this sweet juicy fruit I love. The purple onion didn’t really appeal to me and I was chuffed when I came up with the idea of replacing it with a crispy fennel. I was also inspired to spice up the olives with chilli to give it the kind of flavour bomb effect I favour. The centrepiece of this steamy affair is a creamy burrata. I was licking my lips, contemplating this combination which smacks of genius, IMHO.

This zesty, juicy, fresh salad has a melange of flavours that will have you struggling to share a ten-person salad with anyone else.

I did want to add some green to it, managed to keep it simple.

I was so chuffed I couldn’t wait to share it.  I thought I was so clever that I came up with this combination all by myself!

You can imagine my disappointment when I opened Instagram and the first thing I saw was an orange, fennel and burrata salad.  I was like noooooo waaay, how could this be, was she reading my brilliant mind? I quickly Googled fennel and orange salad and a kazillion images popped up, labelled as clear as day, in big bold writing FENNEL AND ORANGE: A SICILLIAN SALAD. It is not an original invention at all. There goes my Nobel Prize.

Still, my enthusiasm was only momentarily dimmed, because it’s still one of the best winter salads I’ve ever had.  If you’re a fennel fan and a burrata lover and oranges make you overjoyed like moi, then this is for you!

 

As for the simple sweet and sour salad dressing, I used my zesty, orange and lemon salad dressing it’s to die for, I can literally drink it as if it were a cool afternoon summer drink. It packs a punch and compliments this salad to perfection.

This is such a simple salad to make you can’t stuff it up even if you tried and unlike most salads you can make it In the morning, just make sure it’s covered with a plastic wrap.

This salad will take no time at all to make, unless you want to cut the oranges into segments like I did, then it becomes a little more time consuming. 

You can peel and cut the oranges any way you like, and arrange it in any shape you desire.


How to cut oranges into segments:

Ever since I learned how to cut oranges into segments in culinary school, it has become my favourite way to prepare them. Whenever I need to cut an orange, I always choose this method. While you don't have to cut them this way—peeling and slicing them into circles is quicker and easier—you might want to try segmenting if you want a more elegant presentation. For a platter, you might need 3-4 oranges, depending on their size.

If you're interested in learning how to cut oranges into segments,  I have written a step by step method for you, which is both simple and easy to follow. You can also watch my reel for a visual guide.

Using a sharp knife, slice off both the top and bottom ends of the orange so it sits flat and steady on your cutting board.

Cut away the peel from top to bottom, removing the skin and pith by cutting deep enough to expose the orange flesh.

If you are right-handed, hold the orange in your left hand. With your right hand, cut between a segment and its membrane, stopping at the center, and release the segment.

Now that you've learned how to cut the orange into segments, let's get started!



  

Ingredients

1 large burrata cheese ball

7 oranges

1 medium fennel

100g chilli green olives

 

Garnish

Dill or mint leaves

 

Salad dressing

2 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juic

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 olive oil

1 tablespoon hot honey

 

Method

Peel and cut the orange into segments, half moon or what ever shape you fancy. If you want to cut orange into segments see above.

Using a sharp knife, remove the fennel stalks and cut the fennel in half lengthwise. Use a mandolin or knife to slice the fennel into thin strips and set aside.

Cut the olives in half and set aside.

  

Assemble

Place the fennel strips evenly on a large platter, leaving a circle in the centre for the burrata.

If using orange segments, arrange them on top of the fennel strips around the burrata, allowing them to overlap slightly to create a rose-like shape. Repeat this method until all the orange segments are used.  (watch the my reel for a visual)  You can also use this method to create a rose shape with orange circles or half-moons.

Place the olives on top of the oranges.

Garnish with dill or finely chopped mint leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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