Shaved Fennel Salad

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by Alice Waters with Patricia Curtan, Kelsie Kerr and Fritz Streiff
from The Art of Simple Food
(Clarkson Potter, 2007)
4 servings

Fennel makes a very delicate salad when sliced paper-thin. It can be difficult to cut the fennel very thin with a knife, so instead I reach for my plastic Japanese mandoline. But watch your fingertips and use the guard!—Alice Waters

convert Ingredients
2 fennel bulbs

For the dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fennel tops

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Directions
1. Trim off the tops and root ends of the fennel bulbs. Save a few feathery leaves for garnish. Pull off and discard any discolored or dehydrated outer layers.

2. Stir together the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil

3. Taste and adjust with salt and lemon juice as needed. When ready to serve, thinly slice the fennel crosswise. A small Japanese mandoline makes this job easy and gives pretty results.

4. Toss the fennel with the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If you like, garnish with 1 teaspoon chopped fennel tops.

Variations
—Parmesan cheese curls, sliced with a vegetable peeler, make a wonderful garnish.
—Use Meyer lemons when available and double the amount of zest.
—Add 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green olives to the dressing.
—Mix 2 tablespoons parsley leaves in with the fennel.
—Sweet peppers, celery, and radishes can be sliced and tossed with the fennel (singly or all together).

Recipe © 2007 by Alice Waters. All rights reserved.