Fennel and Orange Salad

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Fennel and Orange Salad

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Veggie Healthy – Italian

By Massimo Porcelli – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes

Fennel and Orange Salad (with black olives) is, in my opinion, extremely sophisticated and elegant. The problem with salads, in general, is that you no longer distinguish the flavors of each ingredient and you find yourself chewing a very, very boring concoction. This is why we never associate a salad with the idea of tasty, inviting and succulent food. By eating this salad, on the other hand, you will recognize every single flavor and the contrast between the sweetness of the vegetable, the acidity of the orange and the creaminess of the olives will blend perfectly in every single bite

Ingredients

• Fennel 2
• Orange 2 + 1/2 luice (organic and not treated with pesticides)
• Black Olives 15 approx.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper freshly grounded

Instructions

1

Wash the oranges (organic and not treated with pesticides) very well and dry them with a towel. Peel them carefully and scrape off the white part, which is bitter. Then divide into wedges that you will collect in a bowl so as not to disperse any juice

2

Wash the fennels and slice them thinly. Do not throw away the green "beard" that you will use to garnish

3

Finally, if you like, remove the peet from the olives and cut them into strips ... but they can also be served whole

4

Also, if you like, you can cut the orange zest into small cubes that will add a little crunchiness. You can replace it with chopped pine nuts or walnut kernels

5

In a glass, collect the juice of half an orange (and also that saved by the wedges), exactly double the extra virgin olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Emulsify everything with a fork adding, if necessary and if you like, more oil in order to make the sauce thicker.

6

Arrange fennel, oranges and olives in a bowl, season, add freshly ground black pepper and a few strands of green "beard" to garnish. Serve immediately

Notes

Seasoning oranges with extra virgin olive oil and salt is a very common custom, especially in southern Italy. It is not so strange, if you think about it, because the acidity of the orange is "dampened" not only by the oil but above all by the salt. Give it a try: peel the oranges and cut them into rather thick round slices. Arrange them on a plate, remove the seeds and season with plenty of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Let it rest for a few minutes and taste!

ItalianCookingTips
For this salad I use black olives because they are more beautiful and usually have a less intense taste than the green ones. However, follow your taste by always buying only whole olives, with the stone

ItalianCookingTips
Use organic and not treated with pesticides oranges because in this salad we also eat the peel which, as with all citrus fruits, is a real sponge that collects all the impurities and which must be washed and dried very well

ItalianCookingTips
As with any salad, you can vary the ingredients according to your taste: if you don’t like the idea of eating the peel, you can add crunchiness with pine nuts or walnuts

ItalianCookingTips
In Italy we divide fennel into females and males! The gentlemen are more pot-bellied, rounded, with a more pronounced taste, while the ladies are more flattened and are perfect for cooking. But honestly I don’t think that sexism at the table, like everywhere else, is useful!

ItalianCookingTips
Never season your salads in advance. I always prepare an emulsion of oil, lemon or vinegar and salt which I add just before serving