Shlada bil Litchine wa Tamra

Orange and Date Salad

A sweet–sour salad that uses two of Morocco’s most prolific fruits. Palate-cleansing, it is usually served as an appetizer salad at the beginning of a meal. However, it can also be served as a dessert – omit the mint leaves and dust lightly with cinnamon.

SERVES 4–6

6 sweet oranges

2 teaspoons orange flower water

8 fresh dates, pitted and thinly sliced lengthways

90 g (3 oz/¾ cup) slivered almonds, lightly toasted

small mint leaves, to serve

Cut off the tops and bases of the oranges. Cut the peel off with a sharp knife, removing all traces of pith and cutting through the outer membranes to expose the flesh. Holding the orange over a bowl to catch any juice, segment the oranges by cutting between the visible membranes. Remove the seeds and place the segments in the bowl. Squeeze the remains of the oranges over the bowl to extract all the juice. Add the orange flower water and stir gently to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

Place the orange segments and the juice on a large flat dish and scatter the dates and almonds over the top. Sprinkle the mint leaves over the top. Serve chilled.