The freshness of tangerines is the perfect partner to fennel’s aniseedy tang. A handful of crunchy pumpkin seeds seals the deal very nicely.
Serves 4
2 fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra to finish if needed
4 tangerines or clementines
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the grill to high. Remove the tough, outer layer from the fennel bulbs and trim off the base and the top. Slice the fennel very thinly, from root to tip, then toss with the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Spread the fennel out in a shallow roasting dish or grill pan and grill for 10–12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and tinged with brown. Leave to cool completely. (You can also cook the fennel on a barbecue, or in a ridged cast-iron griddle pan.)
Meanwhile, peel the tangerines and slice them across into rounds, about 5mm thick. Set aside the top and bottom pieces.
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a minute or so until fragrant and just starting to colour. Tip out on to a plate and leave to cool.
Squeeze the juice from the end pieces of tangerine directly over the cooled grilled fennel. Add the cider vinegar and toss lightly. Taste and add a little more olive oil, salt and pepper if you think the fennel needs it.
Arrange the fennel slices on large individual plates and lay the tangerine slices on top. Scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds over the salad and trickle over any remaining dressing from the fennel to serve.
SWAPS Instead of tangerine slices, use segments of orange or pink grapefruit, sliced out from between their membranes (here). Thinly sliced apple is another alternative. If you don’t have pumpkin seeds, then lightly toasted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts or pecans can provide the required nutty crunch.