A few tips for this gorgeous, light, summery salad.
* A mandoline is not essential, but it’s very helpful for slicing the fennel thinly. What’s great about using a mandoline for this recipe, is that there’s no need to core the fennel bulbs — when shaved thinly, the core is fine left intact.
* If you soak the currants in a little bit of hot water and vinegar — they will soften/plump up a bit.
* The original recipe (from “Piatti”) calls for snap peas, however they can be tricky — when they’re good, they’re amazing; when they’re not good, they’re stringy and tough. This recipe subs in raw, shaved asparagus, and they worked beautifully. Later in the summer, raw, shaved zucchini will be a nice option here, too.
* Swap in other herbs for the parsley: mint, chives, or dill would all work nicely here.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon dried currants
A splash white balsamic vinegar
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly on a mandoline or with a knife
1/4 cup (or more) loosely packed fennel fronds
1/4 lb. asparagus, peeled with a peeler, see notes above or snap peas (100 g) snap peas, stemmed and sliced on the diagonal
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to taste
salt, (I use Maldon sea salt)
freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Place the currants in a small bowl.
Splash in some vinegar (maybe a teaspoon) and then cover with hot tap water — about a tablespoon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the fennel, fronds, asparagus or snap peas, onion, and parsley.
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss.
Add the olive oil and fresh lemon juice and toss again. Taste. If it’s too tart, add more olive oil by the tablespoon till it tastes right. If it needs more dressing, add more olive oil and lemon to taste. If it’s not tart enough, add more lemon (or a splash of vinegar).
Drain the currants and add to the bowl. Add the avocado, and toss again.
Shave in Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste. Toss. Taste.
Adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve.