The Sicilian orange salad recipe gives us a fresh and healthy side dish of tradition . The strong point of this dish lies in the encounter between fruit and vegetables, fennel in this case, vegetables known for their delicate flavor with which citrus fruits create a balanced and perfect mix of flavors to bring to the table a touch of originality.
Orange salad, origin
Orange salad is a typical dish of Sicilian cuisine : these fruits are the absolute protagonists of the recipe. The origin of the orange salad is intertwined with the history of the Arab domination of the island. It would have been the Arabs who introduced it into the local cuisine.
Simple Sicilian orange salad
The simplest version of the dish is prepared with peeled and raw oranges cut into slices which are then seasoned with olive oil, salt and black pepper. No vinegar or lemon juice to dress it: the touch of acidity that is well suited to the dressing of salads in general, in this dish is given by the oranges.
Sicilian fennel and orange salad, the recipe
But let's get back to the traditional recipe of orange and fennel salad , a side dish that in Sicily often finds its place on the table throughout the winter and, in reality, for the entire period in which oranges are in season.
Ingredients
- 4 oranges
- 2 fennel
- 1 red onion from Tropea
- 1 handful of black olives
- juice of one orange
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- a few mint leaves
Preparation
peel the onion and cut it into thin slices. Wash and peel the oranges by removing the white skin and the seeds, if present. Cut them into slices about ½ cm thick and transfer them to a serving plate. Wash and cut the fennel into thin slices and distribute them over the oranges. Sprinkle the onions on top and mix the orange juice with the oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the salad with this emulsion and top it off with some mint leaves. Let it rest for ten minutes, then enjoy. Here is a mouth-watering orange salad Palermo- style.
The variants of the Sicilian orange salad
Sicilian seasoned oranges are not the only ones you can bring to the table. Among the most popular variants of the dish are that of the Sicilian salad of oranges and herrings , which is completed with these tasty fish (which can be replaced by anchovies ); the orange and tuna salad , which is recommended to be prepared with quality tuna in oil, and the irresistibly crunchy orange and walnut salad .
Photo Credit | delightfulblog.it
