Finishing
Shaved fennel, blood orange & Arbequina
Fennel and citrus is one of those Mediterranean pairings that asks nothing of you except that the ingredients be good. Arbequina, with its soft almond and apple notes, holds the bridge between the anise and the fruit. A peppery oil here would shout over both.
Ingredients
- 1 small fennel bulb, fronds reserved
- 2 blood oranges (or 1 navel + 1 grapefruit)
- 3 tbsp Catalan Arbequina EVOO
- Flaky sea salt
- A few mint leaves, torn
- Cracked black pepper
Method
- 01
Shave the fennel as thinly as you can — a mandoline if you have one, a sharp knife if you do not. Drop into ice water for 5 minutes to crisp.
- 02
Cut the top and bottom off the oranges, slice away the peel and pith, then slice into rounds. Catch the juice.
- 03
Drain the fennel, pat dry. Lay the orange slices on a wide plate, scatter fennel over the top.
- 04
Spoon the caught juice over. Pour the Arbequina generously. Salt, pepper, mint, reserved fronds.
- 05
Eat right away, before the fennel sighs.