Burnt Fennel & Zucchini Salad

From Stonesoup
serves 2 as a side

Inspired by Francis Mallmann.

I would never have thought to combine fennel and zucchini in a salad. For me, they’re winter and summer vegetables, respectively. But they work together like great old friends.

Of course, if you can’t get your hands on one or the other you could turn it into an all fennel or all zucchini affair.

I’ve used mint here but Francis uses basil which is just as lovely. Flat leaf parsley would be another great alternative.

1 small bulb fennel
1 large zucchini (courgette)
1 lemon
handful fresh mint leaves
shaved parmesan, optional

1. Preheat a frying pan or BBQ hotplate on a medium high heat.

2. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice fennel and zucchini into strips about 1/2cm (1/4in) thick. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season.

3. Cook the veg in batches until charred but not completely cinders. About 4 minutes.

4. Turn and cook for another 2 minutes or until the veg are tender. Repeat with remaining veg.

5. Place cooked veg on a serving platter. Scatter over the zest of half the lemon then a good squeeze of lemon.

6. Scatter over the mint leaves and parmesan shavings, if using.

7. Finish with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little salt & pepper.

Variations

vegan – just skip the parmsean or replace it with sliced almonds

basil – replace the mint leaves with fresh basil

all zucchini – use 2 large or 3 medium zucchini and skip the fennel

all fennel – use 2 fennel bulbs and skip the zucchini. A teaspoon of fennel seeds scattered over may be a nice addition.

raw salad – if it’s too hot to cook (or you can’t be bothered). Serve a raw salad. Slice the veg as finely as possible on a mandoline and be a little more generous with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

fennel – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge.

zucchini (courgette) – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

lemon – will keep for months in a plastic bag in the fridge.

mint – best to use for another meal. leaves can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted so not ideal. Alternatively make a mint oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean dry glass jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil use mint oil to serve with lamb, chicken or fish.

parmesan – wrap in waxed paper or baking paper and store in the fridge in a sealed paper bag or airtight container. Will keep for months. Can be frozen if you’re going away.

Add to my Old Favourite Recipes