Fennel and Mozzarella Salad with Almonds and Preserved Lemon

, from Issue #46. August, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Fennel and Mozzarella Salad with Almonds and Preserved Lemon

The crisp raw vegetables and silky mozzarella ensure every mouthful of this salad is bursting with flavour. My mandolin is one piece of equipment I use more frequently than any other and makes shaving or julienning vegetables a simple task.

Serves: 4–6

INGREDIENTS

2 medium zucchini
1 fennel bulb, fronds reserved
1/3 cup plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large balls fresh mozzarella, (I use Clevedon Valley Buffalo)
¼ cup almonds, roasted and roughly chopped

Dressing
2 pieces preserved lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Dressing: Scrape the flesh from the lemon skin and discard. Finely chop the skin and combine with the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Season lightly.

Shave the zucchini into thin strips with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Place in a colander and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Leave for 10 minutes then pat dry with kitchen towels.

Cut the fennel into quarters through the root and using a mandolin or very sharp knife, shave very thinly.

Spoon the yoghurt onto a serving platter and drizzle with the oil, salt and pepper. Slice the mozzarella and arrange over the yoghurt then spoon over half of the dressing. Top with the shaved fennel and zucchini and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Scatter over the almonds, reserved fennel fronds and a grind of black pepper.