FENNEL AND ARTICHOKE SALAD

Fennel and artichoke salad is a light but at the same time refined and satisfying side dish, perfect for rounding off any lunch or dinner with guests. At the height of their season, these typically winter vegetables boast not only extraordinary beneficial and purifying properties, but also a delicate taste and a pleasantly crunchy texture. The addition of Parmesan flakes and an emulsion based on oil, lemon juice and pepper, to season everything, will make the dish even more complete and fragrant. Find out how to make it by following our recipe step by step and serve it as an accompaniment to main courses of meat or cheese fresh and seasoned.

INGREDIENTS:

6 Artichokes.
3 Fennel.
80 g. Parmiggiano reggiano or Almond.
2 Lemons.
Fennel seeds to taste.
Extra virgin olive oil to taste.
Salt to taste.
Black pepper to taste.

PREPARATION:

Clean the artichokes by removing the tips and the leatheriest outer leaves; cut them in half and remove the internal fluff ①, cut them into thin slices and put them in water acidulated with lemon ②. Drain the vegetables and dry them perfectly ③.

Transfer the sliced ​​artichokes and fennel into a bowl ④. Prepare an emulsion: squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a small bowl with a few tablespoons of oil ⑤; add a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, and then beat well ⑥. Add the flaked Parmesan ④ or the almonds and serve.

VARIANT

If you don’t want to use raw artichokes, grill them: In a bowl mix the extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, a sprinkling of pepper. Drain the artichokes, removing the excess water, and brush them with this mixture.

Cook them on a hot grill on both sides until they are cooked. Add them to the salad and season everything.

ADVICE

During cleaning, to prevent your hands from getting stained, you can also use latex gloves; as you proceed, collect the vegetables in a bowl with cold water and lemon juice: this will prevent them from turning black. As an alternative to lemon, you can add a pinch of baking soda.

To obtain a very enveloping preparation, you can also add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and one of tahina sauce or natural white yogurt to the emulsion. Dress the salad with the sauce obtained and leave it to rest for a few minutes, so that the flavors blend perfectly.

You can also enrich your salad with flaked almonds, walnut kernels or a mix of toasted seeds; if you love sweet and sour flavours, you can also add a handful of raisins, diced dried figs or slices of fresh apple. To give a fresh and colorful note to the dish, complete it with the seeds of a pomegranate.

If you liked this recipe, try also the crunchy artichokes and the artichoke and fennel pan.

STORAGE

Keep the fennel and artichoke salad in the fridge for 1 day, covered with a sheet of transparent film and contact to reduce as much as possible the presence of air which would darken it.