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1
Shave the fennel as detailed on page 217, and drop the slices into ice water to crisp.
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2
With a sharp thin-bladed knife, trim the orange and cut out the sections of pure fruit (called supremes) as follows.
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3
First slice off the top (stem) and bottom ends of one orange; shave off the peel and all of the bitter white pith, so only the fruity flesh is showing.
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4
Slice into the center of the orange, running the blade along each of the thin membranes that hold the fruit sections, so the slivered fruit is releasedlet these fall into a bowl.
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5
Peel and cut out the fruit section from all the oranges; you should have about 4 cups of segments.
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6
(After the fruit is removed, squeeze out the juice from the empty membranes and enjoy it!)
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7
Drain the fennel slices, and pat dry on paper towels.
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8
Pile them in a large bowl with the orange segments and sliced olives, and toss together lightly.
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9
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt on top, grind on some black pepper, and drizzle the olive oil all over; toss again.
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10
Spoon the lemon juice over, and toss.
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11
Taste; add more of any dressing component your salad needs, and give it another tossing.
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12
Arrange portions of the salad in nice mounds on plates, and serve.
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13
To trim a fennel bulb of any size, first slice off the tough base.
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14
Peel and break off the thick outer layers of the bulb and the attached hollow stalks.
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15
Then trim off any of the tender inner stalk attached to the bulb (and save these for soups, broths, and sauces).
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16
For fennel wedges (used in Finocchi alla Parmigiana con Prosciutto, page 223): Cut the trimmed bulb in half lengthwise, and then slice each half lengthwise into wedges, about 1 1/2 inches thick.
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17
The leaf layers should remain attached to the core of each wedge so it stays intact during cooking.
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18
For fennel chunks (used in Finocchi al Tegame conCapperi, page 222, and Salsicce con Finocchi e Olive, page 221): Cut the trimmed bulb in half lengthwise, and then into 1-inch-thick wedges.
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19
Cut off the core of each wedge so the leaf layers can separate, then cut each wedge crosswise into chunks, about 1 inch wide or larger.
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20
For thin-sliced or shaved fennel (used in Insalata di Finocchi ed Agrumi): Cut the trimmed bulb in half lengthwise, cut out the core, then slice each half into very thin slices with a sharp knife.
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21
With a mandoline or vegetable slicer, slice the fennel into shavings.
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22
To keep the slices crisp, immerse them in ice water.
