Last summer, we met Peter at a book signing for his debut cookbook Family Style and fell in love with the warmth and intimacy of his writing—and, of course, all the delicious recipes.
We decided to try this salad from the book and loved its perfect contrast of sweet, salty, and slightly bitter flavors (thanks to the radicchio and tahini!). Our only tweak was substituting pomegranate seeds for the blood oranges—a great option when you can't find blood oranges or want to add some extra crunch and visual pop!
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing
¼ c yellow miso
¼ c rice wine vinegar
2½ tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp Seed + Mill Organic Tahini
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ c extra-virgin olive oil
For everything else
2 large heads radicchio
1 large fennel bulb
1 blood orange, supremed (we substituted this with ½ cup pomegranate seeds!)
⅓ c walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 sheet nori
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
STEPS
-
To make the dressing, combine the miso, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of hot water in a medium mason jar. Cover tightly and shake until the miso has dissolved. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, tahini, anchovy paste and sesame oil and shake again. Season with pepper (the dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks).
-
Core the radicchio and remove any wilted outer leaves. Then separate the leaves and tear into large bite-sized pieces.
-
Trim, halve and core the fennel (reserving the fennel fronds for garnish). Then, very thinly slice the fennel using a mandoline or sharp knife. The fennel can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and held in a bowl of iced water, then patted dry when ready to use.
-
Combine the radicchio and fennel on a platter, drizzle with the dressing and toss. Add the blood orange (or pomegranate seeds), and the walnuts and gently toss. Crush the nori flakes into fine pieces and sprinkle atop the salad. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Photo Credit: Linda Xiao
Food Stylist: Sue Li