Roasted Fennel and Orange Salad

Recipe is from the Essential Mediterranean cookbook. I'm not that fond of raw fennel, but roasted fennel is something else. The combination of fennel and orange makes for a delicious salad and a great presentation.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  baby fennel bulbs
• 5  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  oranges
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1  red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 1⁄2 ounces kalamata olives
• 2  tablespoons of fresh mint, roughly chopped
•  fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the fronds from the fennel and reserve. Remove the stalks and cut a slice off the base of each fennel about 1/4 inch thick. Slice each fennel into 6 wedges, place in a baking dish and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season well. Bake 40-45 minutes or until the fennel is tender and slightly caramelized. Turn once or twice during cooking. Allow to cool.
2. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Using a sharp knife, slice the skin and pith off the oranges. Remove as much pith as possible. Slice down the side of a segment between the flesh and the membrane. Repeat with the other side and lift the segment out. Do all the segments on both. Squeeze out any juice remaining in the membranes.
3. Whisk the remaining oil into the orange juice and the lemon juice until emulsified. Season well. Combine the orange segments, onion and olives in a bowl, pout on half the dressing and add half the mint. Top with the roasted fennel, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and scatter the parsley and remaining mint over the top. Chop the reserved fronds and sprinkle over the salad.