Feta and orange salad with honeyed almonds
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a light meal
Author: Diana Henry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tbsp orange juice
- salt and pepper
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp runny honey
- leaves from 1 sprig of thyme
- for the almonds
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 50g blanched almonds
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 3 oranges
- 1 small or½ large fennel bulb
- 60g watercress
- 100g feta (preferably barrel-aged), chunks 10g mint leaves, torn
Method
- For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together.
- Season and pour into a shallow bowl.
- For the almonds, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan.
- Add the nuts. Fry over a medium heat until toasted.
- Add honey and spices and cook until honey is bubbling and almost caramelised. Spoon mix on to a non-stick baking sheet.
- Leave to cool.
- Cut a slice off the bottom and top of each orange so they have a flat base.
- Cut the peel and pith off, slice into rounds and remove seeds.
- Trim fennel, reserving feathery bits, and remove tough outer leaves.
- Quarter the bulb lengthways and cut out the core.
- Slice very finely and add to dressing.
- Finely chop any feathery bits and add them too.
- Put oranges, watercress, feta and mint into the bowl as well and toss gently.
- Add the almonds.
- Serve.