This recipe for Fennel Blood Orange Salad is going to be a welcome side dish this winter. Time to take advantage of blood orange as well as fennel. We started playing around with fennel over the recent years and wished we had started sooner. It is such a versatile vegetable as well as ingredients. It can be enjoyed raw as a snack or tossed into a salad. As well it is wonderful when roasted and added to mashed potatoes, or to make a lovely soup. How about baking it in a Galette, or folding it into a creamy risotto inspired dish;. Really the possibilities are endless. possibilities are endless.
I was inspired by a refreshing salad in the January issue of Gourmet. It was made of thinly sliced fennel, roughly chopped naval oranges, shaved Parmesan, and a dressing made of Pomegranate juice, olive oil, and some sea salt.
I do not really care for naval oranges and tend to only buy when I am making juice. In the winter months I hoard blood oranges as I find them more flavorful as well the vibrant color is everything.
I served this bright tasting salad with simply roasted halibut. I did not want the seasonings on the fish to overpower the salad so I keep it simple; salt, pepper and some Meyer Lemon zest. After roasted the fish I finished it with a drizzle of olive oil. Feel free to serve what ever you are craving with this salad. Roasted chicken or even lamb would be lovely.
Bon Appetite!
Tips:
- Instead of grating the cheese, fancy it up by using a vegetable peeler to make ribbons.
Tools:
- mandolin to slice the fennel
- vegetable peeler – optional
Recipe: Fennel Blood Orange Salad
Ingredients:
2 medium sized blood oranges
2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks cut off
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, shaved or grated
maldon salt, to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste.
How To:
Boil the pomegranate juice in a small heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl and quick-chill in an ice bath.
Slice the fennel into paper-thin slices with mandolin or very sharp knife.
Peel the oranges and remove the white pith. Cut segments free from membranes and coarsely chop.
Whisk 1/2 teaspoon salt into pomegranate juice, then whisk in oil.
Arrange fennel and oranges on salad plates or place into a large salad bowl.
Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with dressing.
Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Serve.
Eat.
I like fennel but have never used it at home because Shawn hates fennel seeds. I have thought about trying it since the flavor seems different enough that he won’t associate the it with the seeds that he hates. I just can’t tell him what it is. Once I ground up fennel seeds and put them in some lasagna hoping he wouldn’t notice. He came home from work and immediately said “it smells like those funnel seeds” (yes, funnel, not fennel). Oh, the joys of trying to cook like a foodie for a meat and potatoes man from the sticks. Anyway, the salad looks beautiful—very fresh and light.
i love fennel. in france they serve it with the crudities salads. i use it in soups all the time. love the orange touch! bon appetit
Love the use of pomegranate juice as a dressing