Thursday 7 January 2010

Fennel and pink grapefruit salad


I'm currently whipping through the sublime second series of Mad Men on DVD. I love everything about it, and the attention to 1950s and 1960s detail is lush. But the food you see the characters eating definitely makes me feel grateful to be living in the Teenies (is that what we're meant to be calling the successor to the Noughties?) Anyway, the sight of Don and Betty tucking into yet another family dinner of creamed corn, devilled lamb chops and tinned marrowfat peas is enough to send me running to the fridge for fresh, crisp zingy ingredients. Which is exactly how this salad came about, somewhere during episodes 8 and 9: it's tangy, aromatic and full of vitamins, and really easy to make. Just what the January body needs, huh?

Serves 2

You will need:

1/2 bulb fennel
1 pink grapefruit
1 generous handful fresh mint
1 tbsp orange flower water (I use a nice one from here - but if you can't get hold of it, use 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed orange juice)
1 tbsp chilli-infused olive oil (not essential - use extra virgin olive oil if you don't have this)
Salt and pepper

Very thinly slice the fennel lengthways. Don't bin the fennel fronds - cut up and add as well. Peel the grapefruit, remove as much pith as you can, then slice into 1/2cm rounds. Cut each round into 4 quarters. Roughly chop the mint. Place all the above in a salad bowl and roughly mix up with your hands.

Whisk together the chilli oil and the orange flower water, adding salt and pepper to taste to make the dressing. Add this to the salad just seconds before you eat it, to avoid wilting.

Will make your tastebuds pop!

1 comment:

  1. Hi

    I came across your lovely blog and thought you might like to take a peek at mine. I live in the French Alps and write about food and renovating our old watermill. Would you be interested in exchanging links? I am now following you.

    Sarah

    http://atasteofsavoie.blogspot.com/

    email: atasteofsavoie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete