SICILIAN CITRUS SALAD

I am half Italian, although looking at me you would think it was more. More specifically, I'm Sicilian, a fact that my father would remind me of pretty much daily. Especially when a teenage short fuse was involved.


End of January in NY means blood orange season, and my local supermarket was stocked. I saw these beauties and the Cara Cara (a pink-fleshed navel orange) and knew I wanted to make this delicious and fresh salad. It has Finocchio in it - aka Fennel - which always reminds me of my father as he would often sit outside on his back patio and eat it as a snack. This salad is a simple, refreshing farmer's dish that is filled with vitamin C. Adds a bright note to any table setting and people love to pick at it solo too!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • pinch of Kosher Salt, and pepper to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • A couple navel oranges
  • A few blood oranges
  • A couple Cara Cara oranges
  • 1 small grapefruit
  • 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
  • Bunch of pitted black olives
  • radicchio leaves 
  • flaky sea salt for finishing

1.

I’d say I put in more blood oranges than the rest, but you can really do any mix of any different type of oranges that you’d like. To slice the oranges like I have photographed, cut the ends off the top and bottom of the orange so you can balance on a cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to cut the peel off, making sure to get all the white pith. Then slice. 


After slicing all the oranges, thinly slice the onion and fennel. 

2.

In a small jar, add red wine vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Shake well.

3.

Assemble oranges, onions and fennel on a platter. Dot with olives. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and use a flaky finishing sea salt, like Maldon, and sprinkle well over salt.