Recipe: Fennel, Orange and Ruccola Salad
As far as I’m concerned fennel is a much underused, little appreciated vegetable that packs all sorts of goodness. The ancient Greeks swore by it for weight loss (which can’t be a bad thing in this line of work), it’s also known to ease migraines.
The classic way to have it is baked with fish; the aniseedy overtones seem to bring out all the flavors of the sea. This recipe however is from my book: Clock Book: Recipes from the Modern Moroccan Kitchen (2010) and calls for fennel in its raw state. The salad goes brilliantly with simply grilled mackerel or sardines.
Serves four as a side dish and two as a main course
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bulb of fennel (look for bulbs that are plump and juicy), thinly sliced
- 1 orange (cut away the peel and pith with a knife then slice the segments away from the membrane)
- 2-3 large handfuls of ruccola (or mix ruccola and watercress)
- 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Toss together all the ingredients, drizzle the oil over the top and add a grind of fresh, black pepper.