Sicilian Blood Orange Salad Recipes

SICILIAN ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• On a serving platter, alternately arrange orange and onion slices, with the slices slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper.

BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• Lightly pickle onion: Mix sugar and vinegar, then add onion and set aside for 15 minutes to lightly pickle (vinegar should just about cover onion). Drain, reserve pickling vinegar.
• Slice oranges, reserve juice: Cut rind from oranges, then slice into rounds. Reserve all juice on cutting board - you want around 2 teaspoons (if you're short, sacrifice a slice or two).
• Blood Orange Drizzle Dressing: Measure out 2 tsp pickling vinegar, shake/whisk with the reserved 2 tsp juice, 2 tbsp EVOO with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Lightly dress fennel: Toss fennel in 1 tbsp onion pickling juice, remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.
• Assembling: Place 1/2 orange rounds on plate. Pile over 2/3 the fennel, litter with onion, parsley, place half remaining orange slices on top. Top with remaining fennel, oranges then onion. Sprinkle with parsley leaves. Just before serving, drizzle over the Blood Orange Dressing, mainly on the oranges so it doesn't stain the fennel too much. Serve immediately!

SICILIAN FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD WITH RED ONION AND MINT

Steps:

• Cut peel and pith from oranges. Cut between membranes to release segments.
• Toss orange segments, fennel, onion, mint, and oil in large bowl to coat. Season salad generously to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer salad to platter. Garnish with olives and serve immediately.

SICILIAN-STYLE CITRUS SALAD

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. It should be tart but not over-vinegary. Taste and add a little more olive oil if necessary.
• To peel the citrus fruit, use a small serrated knife. First, cut off a thin slice of peel from the top and bottom of the orange, so it can sit flat and securely on the cutting board. Use a sawing motion to take off the peel, cutting from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Remove only the peel and white pith, not the flesh of the orange. It should now be perfectly spherical and naked. Peel remaining oranges and grapefruit in this fashion.
• Carefully slice peeled citrus crosswise. Arrange slices on a large serving platter in a random pattern, letting them overlap a bit here and there. Scatter onion, fennel and celery over top. Dot the surface with olives. Surround with salad leaves, if using.
• Whisk vinaigrette, and spoon evenly over the salad. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt and serve.

SICILIAN-INSPIRED BLOOD ORANGE SALAD FOR 2

Steps:

• Place the orange segments in a large non-reactive bowl and stir in onions. Set aside.
• In a small skillet, heat the olive oil on medium.
• Add the cumin seeds and cook until the cumin seeds pop slightly and a lovely fragrance emits from the pan. Lower the heat if the seeds appear to be cooking too quickly.
• Add vinegar to the pan and swirl to mix. Season with salt and pepper and toss all over the citrus and greens.
• When plating, add mint and pistachios to the tops of each portion.