The arrival of blood oranges is a time of real excitement. I find citrus fruit in general incredibly versatile and the acidity can lift so many dishes, but blood oranges have a complex flavour that moves them to another level. Used in sweet and savoury dishes, blood oranges provide flavour and colour, but most importantly, they can provide balance. This is the key to any really successful dish; that harmony between the tastes – sweet, sour, salty, bitter – and umami, now very much recognized as the fifth taste. Umami is the sense of savouriness and is found in Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, tomatoes, seaweed and cured meats.
In this simple salad, there is no oil other than that clinging to the tomatoes. Extra oil really isn’t necessary, as the combination of the blood orange syrup and all the other ingredients makes a balanced dressing.
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH OR LIGHT STARTER
4 blood oranges, segmented and juice squeezed from the frames
2 heads of chicory, broken into leaves, washed and dried
40g rocket leaves
8 sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil and cut into strips
80g good quality feta
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the juice from the oranges in a small pan and reduce until it is slightly syrupy. Allow to cool.
2. Toss all the salad leaves gently with the orange segments and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with Maldon sea salt and fresh black pepper. Arrange in a bowl, crumble the feta over the top and finish by drizzling the reduced orange juice over the leaves.
FOR A SIMPLE PASTA DISH WITH SIMILAR INGREDIENTS:
1. Heat a little oil and sweat off a couple of cloves of crushed garlic.
2. Add the tomatoes, orange juice and half the segments. Reduce until syrupy.
3. Add cooked spaghetti to the sauce.
4. Finely slice the chicory and stir that in along with the remaining orange segments.
5. Add a little of the pasta water and cook until the chicory has wilted. The rocket could also be added for a peppery finish.
6. Season well, divide between bowls and crumble some goat’s cheese (instead of the feta) over the pasta.