Fennel salad with pistachios and oven-dried grapes

• portionen: 6 servings

Zutaten

500g seedless red grapes

2 ½ fennel seeds crushed slightly

2tsp soft dark brown sugar

Flaked sea salt and black pepper

2 small fennel bulbs cut lengthways into 3-4 mm-thick slices (use a mandoline, ideally); fronds reserved

60ml olive oil

1 lemon zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, then juiced, to get 2 tbsp

½ Finely grated zest of orange

½ nigella seeds

30g mint leaves roughly torn

50g shelled pistachios lightly toasted and roughly chopped

Anweisungen

Heat the oven to 140C/285F/gas mark 1. Line a 28cm x 18cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Put the grapes in a medium bowl with the fennel seeds, sugar, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of water, toss to coat the fruit in the mix, then spread out on the prepared tray.

Roast for an hour, until the grapes are shrivelled and soft, then leave to cool.

Put the fennel in a large bowl.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, a quarter teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, pour this over the fennel and toss so it’s all coated in the dressing. Leave to steep for 10 minutes, to soften the fennel.

Just before serving, mix the lemon and orange zest, nigella seeds, mint, any fennel fronds and half the pistachios into the fennel bowl.

Stir through half the roasted grapes, then spread out the salad on a large platter. Scatter the remaining grapes and pistachios over the top, sprinkle on a final half-teaspoon of salt and serve.