Salads
Raw asparagus and fennel salad
Both asparagus and fennel are wonderful raw and thinly sliced. Don't snap off any wooden ends from the asparagus before peeling. Instead, use these to hold the stalks as you peel; they give you purchase and can be discarded when you have sliced all the tender tops. If you don't manage to get any fronds from the fennel to use as garnish, a little fresh tarragon or chervil would work well instead.
Ingredients
- 200g asparagus
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Method
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Step 1
Use a swivel-topped peeler to peel the asparagus into long, thin strips, peeling from the root end toward the tip. Discard the tough root ends.
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Step 2
Trim the fennel, reserving any green fronds from the top. Halve the bulb and slice it as thinly as you can. A mandolin would be perfect for this task.
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Step 3
Mix the fennel with the asparagus. Add the vinegar and olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
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Step 4
Pile it onto plates and use the peeler to shave over strips of cheese. Garnish with any green fennel fronds.