WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In Algeria and Tunisia, raw fennel is often used to make distinctive crisp, light salads. We liked the fennel best in this salad when it was sliced very thin, for the most tender texture. Sweet, juicy oranges were an excellent flavor match for the crisp fennel. To ensure that they were evenly distributed in the salad, we cut the oranges into bite-size pieces and tossed the salad gently to keep the segments from falling apart. To finish it off, we added some oil-cured black olives, which are ubiquitous in the region’s dishes, plus some fresh mint, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Because this dish is so simple, using high quality ingredients is essential. Blood oranges are traditional in this dish; navel oranges, tangelos, or Cara Caras can be substituted, but since they are larger, you’ll need just three of them.
Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- 4 blood oranges
- 2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, and sliced thin
- ½ cup pitted oil-cured black olives, sliced thin
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Whisk oil, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in large serving bowl until combined; set aside.
- Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Quarter oranges, then slice crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Add oranges, fennel, olives, and mint to bowl with dressing and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
