This salad pleasantly surprised me, but it’s not a keeper. I like grapefruit and fennel, but I’d never think to eat them in the same bite. What makes them work together is, ironically, their juxtaposition. Grapefruit with the pith removed is bitter and sweet. It’s acidity is more overpowering than that of an orange, which delivers a sharpness unlike most other fruits. A fennel bulb offers a more subtle taste, akin to black licorice, or a salty star anise. The soft, juicy grapefruit pulp contrasts from the fennel bulb’s watery crunch, like a piece of celery.
Even my memories and associations with each ingredient differ. When I think of a fennel bulb, I think of Thanksgiving dinner. My mom makes a wonderful fennel and sausage stuffing that uses the fennel bulb, seeds, and its leafy fronds. Our Thanksgivings were always spent at my Oma’s house in Pasadena, and each family was in charge of a different dish. Also, I firmly believe stuffing is the best part of a Thanksgiving meal, and no one can persuade me otherwise. I realize that is a controversial statement. Stuffing is polarizing. But it’s #mytruth.
Grapefruit makes me think of coming home from college on winter break and laying out in my parent’s backyard. After a cold semester in Chicago, the 70-degrees-and-sunny weather of southern California always felt like a warm hug. I would spend my whole break sitting in the backyard, thawing out and eating citrus fruits: tangerines, mandarins with the stem and leaves still on, and big halved grapefruits with sugar sprinkled on top.
This backyard is my favorite place to be when I go home.
These two opposite ingredients need something to unite them, and Alison does so with a tangy vinaigrette. The dressing is made of lime juice, toasted fennel seeds, shallot, honey and sumac. In my opinion, this vinaigrette is the best part of the dish. I would even consider putting it on a different salad, perhaps a bowl of arugula. But while the flavors do work on the salad, they weren’t cohesive enough to make me want more than a small portion. I served this salad at a dinner with my in-laws, and noticed that no one wanted seconds. Important information!
This salad must be consumed fresh. As I’ve mentioned before, I hate to waste food. However, this salad does not keep well at all into the second day. The juices run completely out of the grapefruit with time, and you’re left with chunks of bitter pulp mixed with softened, soggy fennel. Not a fun combination. So, if I make this salad again, it’ll be for a large gathering, so everyone can have a few bites, but doesn’t feel the need to eat a whole bowl. And hopefully, there won’t be leftovers to waste.
16 recipes cooked, 209 to go.
