Australian_Gourmet_Traveller_2017

Salad

days

Fresh and bright insalate show

off spring vegetables in style.

W

hen it comes to Italian food, we’re more

likely to think of pizza and pasta than salad.

But insalate are an essential part of Italian

cuisine, be it panzanella, Caprese or the

classic rocket and parmesan combo.

Spring vegetables are ideal raw – slice them thinly,

toss them in a flavourful dressing and leave them for a

few minutes to soften a little. Add heft with legumes or

slivers of raw fish. Dandelion leaves, an Italian favourite

for their pleasantly bitter flavour, are in season now, and

can be bought at farmers’ markets and specialist grocers;

wild rocket makes a good substitute.

As for dressings, the simpler the better. Extra-virgin

olive oil (the best you can afford) is non-negotiable, while

citrus juices add perfect acidity. Salad days are here.

Kingfish crudo with white beans,

fennel and blood-orange dressing

SERVES 4 AS A LIGHT MEAL // PREP TIME 15 MINS

Using canned white beans makes this dish super-quick to whip up,

but if you have the time to soak dried white beans a day ahead by

all means do so. If the beetroot have any small, tender leaves, toss

them in the salad, too, and give the fish a quick toss in the pan or

sear it on the grill if you’d oprefer to eat it cooked.

2 blood oranges, peeled

800 gm canned white beans,

drained and rinsed

200 gm sashimi-grade kingfish,

thinly sliced

2 baby fennel bulbs, shaved

on a mandolin and crisped

in iced water, fronds

reserved

¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced

Juice of ½ lemon,

or to taste

1 garlic clove, finely grated

70 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 beetroot, trimmed, peeled

and cut into julienne, small

leaves reserved

1 Segment the blood oranges

over a bowl to catch the juices.

Remove the segments from the

membrane and transfer them to

a separate bowl. Add beans,

kingfish, drained fennel and

onion, season to taste, toss

to combine and transfer to

a serving platter.

2 Add lemon juice and garlic

to the orange juice and stand to

soften (4-5 minutes), then whisk

in the oil and season to taste.

Drizzle dressing over salad, toss

to combine and serve scattered

with beetroot, beetroot leaves

and fennel fronds.

42 GOURMET TRAVELLER