I’ve lived in Blighty for over a decade now (and am half-English by birth), but I don’t remember this country having experienced such a proper stereotypical ‘summer’ before, with countless days of uninterrupted pleasant weather, and not a hosepipe ban in sight! To mark the occasion, here’s a deliciously light, refreshing and quintessentially ‘summery’ salad, somewhat infused with Scandinavian know-how. The texture and flavour really reminds me of Swedish summers! The crunchy, quenching fennel works beautifully when tossed into a salad and whilst this particular ‘edit’ is vegan-friendly, it works sublimely when dusted with flakes of roasted salmon too! Quick, easy and requiring almost no kitchen flare whatsoever, this is your best chance of upgrading your Monday-night Salad Game…
For those of you who perhaps haven’t encounterd the marvels of Fennel, it is a herb with a liquorice flavour. The crunchy texture along with its distinct ‘aniseed’ essence works beautifully in salads and provides some dependable nutritional benefits too, including a hefty deposition of Vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber as well as manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. Moreover though, the counterpoint of Fennel-vs-Citrus flavour just works a harmonious treat! Here’s the How To…
Instructions
- Start by slicing the fennel bulbs lengthways as finely as possible. I recommend using a mandoline slicer as you’d need some strong Michelin skills to achieve the subtlety of fennel shavings using merely a knife.
- In a small separate bowl, deposit the raisins, and cover them in water in order to rehydrate them for c. 20minutes, then remove them and place on a tissue to dry – they will join the salad later.
- Slice off the orange peel to remove the skin and pith, and slice the remaining orange into eighths, or smaller wedges, to your taste.
- Optional (but very much my preference): de-seed a small chilli and finely chop a half of it, then add it to the mixture. Beware as even a small amount adds a significant fiery punch!
- Finely shave the radishes on the mandoline.
- Finely chop a handful of dill
- Add the fennel to the mixture and let it marinate for and hour in the fridge.
- In a large bowl squeeze the lemon juice and mix in the honey.
- Add all the ingredients into a bowl and let them marinate in this citric jus for an hour.
- Finally serve alone or with some salmon, or indeed any other baked fish! Bon appetit!