Photograph by Scott Martin
Fennel, or finocchio as it is known in Italy, is an anise-flavored vegetable with a bulb-like base that can be enjoyed either raw or cooked for a milder overall taste. Raw fennel has a distinct, licorice taste and is wonderful in fresh salads or as an addition to a crudité plate. When you cook, or in this case, slowly caramelize fennel, a sweet flavor in addition to its natural mild licorice-flavor is created. This salad combines the sweetness of caramelized fennel with tart rounds of fresh grapefruit, peppery baby arugula leaves and briny oil-cured black olives. A classic combination of ingredients that highlights a remarkable flavor profile.
Mise en place for the salad
Caramelized Fennel
(To view the recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Caramelized Fennel & Grapefruit Salad with Olives
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 fennel bulb, stems trimmed and bulb cut into thinly sliced half moons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 grapefruits, peeled and cut into rounds
- ½ cup oil-cured black olives
- Baby arugula
- For the vinaigrette:
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinaigrette
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced fennel and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and cook, turning over after 10 minutes, for a total cooking time of 20 minutes (or until the fennel is lightly browned and tender).
- Meanwhile, place arugula on each salad plate. Top with rounds of grapefruit and a few of the olives. Once the fennel is caramelized, divide among salads as well. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together until emulsified and drizzle over each salad.
Tagged: Arugula, black olives, butter, caramelized fennel, fennel, grapefruit, oil cured olives, olive oil, Salad, watercress
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