Name: Crispy fennel, orange, zucchini and pine nut salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 bulbs fennel, thinly shaved, fronds reserved; 1 Tbsp self-raising flour; Juice of 1 lemon; 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra 3 Tbsp; 3 Tbsp orange juice; 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 tsp dijon mustard; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 2 zucchini; 2 oranges, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds; ¼ cup mint leaves; ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted; ¼ long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

Set down a platter piled with this beautiful side and it will brighten your table! Its citrusy flavours will complement your seafood mains.

After more show-stopping salads?

Ingredients

2 bulbs fennel, thinly shaved, fronds reserved

1 Tbsp self-raising flour

Juice of 1 lemon

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra 3 Tbsp

3 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

2 zucchini

2 oranges, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds

¼ cup mint leaves

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

Method

Put ¼ of the shaved fennel in a large bowl. Add flour and toss to coat. Put remaining fennel in another bowl with lemon juice, tossing to coat (see Cook’s tips, below. Set aside.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add flour-coated fennel and cook for 2 minutes or until golden, then drain on paper towel.

Pour extra oil, orange juice and vinegar into a jar. Add mustard then season and secure lid. Shake to combine. Set aside.

Use a spiraliser to create spaghetti from zucchini. Or you can use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini ribbons. Lay 5 ribbons on top of each other and cut thin spaghettilike strips with a large knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining ribbons.

Add orange, mint, pine nuts and lemon juiced-fennel to zucchini spaghetti. Transfer to a serving platter and top with reserved fennel fronds and fried fennel. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tips

Lemon juice adds flavour, but most importantly it ensures the fennel will not turn brown.
Here, a mix of ruby red and regular oranges was used. Ruby oranges are available in large supermarkets and greengrocers. They are sweet like normal oranges but look like small grapefruit.

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Ingredients

Method

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