Insalata di Arance e Finocchi
Insalata di Arance e Finocchi·(een-sah-LAH-tah dee ah-RAHN-cheh eh fee-NOK-kee)
Le Feste: Sicilian-American Holiday Spreads
Standard navel oranges and raw fennel sit on the cutting board. When the table groans under a heavy holiday roast and baked pastas, this salad acts as a vital reset; it delivers a sweet, sour, and savory bite through raw citrus and olive oil, refusing any fake Hollywood elevation—no balsamic glaze, no fancy mustards. The process takes five spare minutes before dinner and the strict discipline of proper knife work: shaving the bulb across a sharp mandoline until the fennel snaps paper-thin, and stripping the oranges of every last bit of bitter white pith.
Before you start
Tame the harsh bite of the American red onion through a quick saltwater bath.
Slice the red onion as thinly as physically possible. Place the slices in a small bowl, cover with cold water, and stir in the coarse kosher salt. Let soak for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out sulfurous compounds via osmosis, then drain and pat completely dry.
Shave the fennel bulbs into paper-thin ribbons to properly disperse their sweet, anise flavor.
Cut the green stalks off the top, reserving a handful of the feathery green fronds for garnish. Slice a thin layer off the root end, cut the bulb in half vertically, and carve out the solid triangular core. Use a mandoline or a very sharp knife to shave the fennel as thinly as possible. If the bulb feels limp, plunge the shavings into ice water for ten minutes to shock them back to a crisp crunch, then drain and dry thoroughly.
Strip the oranges of every last bit of bitter white pith by peeling them a vivo.
Slice a half-inch off the top and bottom poles of each orange to reveal the flesh, then stand them flat on a cutting board. Following the natural curve of the fruit, slice downward to completely remove the peel and the spongy white albedo.
Ingredients
- blood oranges, Cara Cara, or Navel oranges3 med
- fennel bulbs2 med
- red onion1/2 med
- oil-cured black olives1/2 cup
- anchovy fillets packed in olive oil4 large
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- coarse kosher salt1 tsp
- flaky sea salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Slice the naked oranges and capture the escaping juice to build the foundation of the dressing.
Working over a bowl to catch every drop of liquid gold, slice the oranges horizontally into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Take any leftover ends or discarded peels and squeeze them firmly over the bowl.
- 02
Arrange the ingredients on a large platter rather than tossing them haphazardly in a bowl.
Spread the shaved fennel in an even layer across a wide holiday serving platter. Shingle the vibrant orange slices over the top, then scatter the drained red onions, black olives, and chopped anchovies evenly across the salad.
- 03
Emulsify the dressing using only the reserved orange juice and high-quality olive oil.
Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, and plenty of cracked black pepper directly into the bowl of captured orange juice. Drizzle this emulsion generously over the entire platter, scatter the reserved fennel fronds on top, and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so the flavors can meld before serving.
Notes
Embrace the Palermitana tradition by keeping the anchovies in the mix.
While the canonical base of this salad is vegan, adding preserved seafood is a highly traditional move from Palermo. The intense, salty umami of the anchovy acts as a brilliant, harmonious contrast to the sweet orange.