Sicilian orange, fennel and burrata salad
“Our next round of food arrives as the wine is drained. Squat burratas in olive oil; rosemary-topped focaccia that is almost sweet; heritage tomatoes scattered with capers.”
Rebecca Watson, The Financial Times, her fantasy dinner party
About four years ago I published a recipe on Saucy Dressings for a salad of fennel, orange and mozzarella. The combination of fennel and orange has been enjoyed in Sicily for centuries, and there is nothing very new about adding cheese.
Since burrata is essentially cheese curds and cream wrapped in a mozzarella cape, it’s easy to see where the idea for this came from.
And it must be a good idea because in the meantime Ottolenghi has been serving it with great success at his restaurant, NOPI. He uses blood oranges, and these would look and taste spectacular if you can get hold of any. He also adds toasted coriander seeds, which sparks it up too.
For another variation, consider swapping the burrata, or the mozzarella, as chef Chris Honor does, for feta. He also adds dill (and dill seeds), mustard cress, roasted almonds and a little ground star anise.
Sicilian orange, fennel and burrata salad
Serves – 4
Ingredients
- 60ml/4 tbsps/¼ cup olive oil
- 1 generous tsp honey (chestnut is good); or you could substitute with a couple of teaspoons of elderflower cordial
- Couple of sprigs of rosemary
- 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and crushed with 1 tsp crunchy salt
- 1 bulb of fennel
- 1 large orange; or a white peach will also work well
- 150g/5 oz approximately burrata sack
- Urfa pepper flakes; or some freshly ground black pepper
- 80g/3 oz bag rocket
- Oil to drizzle – a good peppery olive or, ideally a walnut
- Handful of almonds (optional)
- Coriander seeds (optional)
Instructions
- If you are using the coriander seeds, in a small saucepan, dry fry them for a minute or two. Remove, and set aside.
- In the same pan put the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and honey, begin to warm gently.
- Cut off the green fronds from the fennel and reserve; cut off any brown bits and throw away. Very thinly slice the fennel. Add to the warmed oil mixture. Stir to coat.
- On a chopping board (the same one you’ve used to crush the garlic with the salt; and to slice the fennel) zest the orange (reserve the zest) and then, with a serrated knife cut the peel off the orange, and cut the orange into small slices, removing pips as you do so. Pour any juice which has come out in the process into the gently warming fennel. Add most of the orange slices too. Stir again.
- Spread the rocket out on a platter.
- On the much-used chopping board cut the burrata vertically into eight.
- Spread the fennel-orange mixture over the rocket. Arrange the burrata pieces artistically over it. Garnish with remaining orange slices; coriander seeds; zest; pinch Urfa pepper flakes, and the almonds if you have any.
- Drizzle over the finishing oil, and serve.
