Fall Fennel Salad

Fennel bulb is a staple in my house almost all year around. It roasts beautifully, adds its lightly liquorice flavor to stocks, and tastes fresh during the darkest months of winter. This salad adjusts well; when pomegranates aren't in season, switch to sliced roasted beets. The feta can be omitted for a vegan salad that's equally delicious, just different. Nuts are another option; try toasted pistachios or walnuts, and use the corresponding nut oil for the dressing. Yum. To make this a main dish or more substantial appetizer, add poached or grilled scallops.

2 fennel (anise) bulbs, feathery tops trimmed off (I use mine for stockmaking) and tough outside layer pulled off
2 oranges, supremed (instructions below)
1 pomegranate
2 ounces feta, preferably Israeli, crumbled (optional)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper

Slice the fennel bulbs horizontally (that is, so that each slice goes across every layer of the bulb) as thinly as possible. A mandoline, even the cheapie German one I have, is very helpful, but a newly-sharpened chef's knife will also do the trick. Place in a large bowl.

Supreme the orange: Slice off the top and bottom 1/2" of each orange, revealing the flesh. Cutting in sloping strips, use a sharp knife to remove the rest of the orange's skin. Now cut the individual wedges apart into the bowl, leaving behind all pith. You're left with just beautiful pieces of orange flesh. Squeeze the pith and all peel pieces into the bowl to release their leftover juices.

Seed the pomegranate: Cut the pomegranate into quarters. Run water into a large bowl that's been set in your sink. Put the pomegranate pieces into your bowl, and, using light touches, remove all the seeds. The seeds float to the bottom of the bowl, while the creamy yellow webbing floats to the top. Rinse with additional water several times, then set the pomegranate seeds to drain.

Measure out 1/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds into your bowl with the sliced fennel and oranges. Toss in one ounce of the feta, then add a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add in a tablespoon of olive oil and the rice vinegar. Toss the salad with your hands. Taste it. You're looking for a balanced mix of sweet and salty, crispy and soft.

To serve, lift up portions with your hands and place them in bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining feta and a few more pomegranate seeds. Depending on how large your fruit/veg ingredients were and how hungry your eaters are, this serves anywhere from 2-4. Usually it makes two large lunch salads for me.

Comments

[rahul]

it is good information

[Nicole]

Hi, I just picked up a fennel bulb at the market and since I've never prepared a dish using fennel, I decided to search the web for some recipe ideas. This salad sounds wonderful so I think I'll try this for lunch today! Thanks :-)