
Citrus and Hazelnut Slaw
There is something seriously good about a crisp, refreshing salad on a cold day. It livens the tastebuds and contrasts so brilliantly with the richer flavours of the season. Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
1 grapefruit
1 orange
250g red cabbage
150g fennel
150g celeriac
250g beetroot
FOR THE DRESSING
2tbsp red wine vinegar
3tbsp lime juice
75ml extra virgin olive oil. I like to keep this steely so Ul’ka from Frantoio Parovel works perfectly, or Riva Paralello 46 is also an excellent choice.
1 tbsp soy sauce
Finely grated ginger to taste
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 small red chillies
75g hazelnuts with their skin
Mint and coriander leaves
METHOD
Firstly, make the dressing by combining the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil and soy in a bowl. Then to this, add the finely grated ginger (I would do this to your taste, I like quite a lot of ginger especially at this time of the year) and then the sugar. Finely chop the chilli and stir through. Then in a pestle and mortar, break up the hazelnuts and add to the dressing with the coriander and mint leaves torn roughly. Set aside.
Peel and remove any pith from the grapefruit and orange and separate the segments with a sharp knife. Then add in to the dressing.
Finely shred the fennel and red cabbage. And matchstick the celeriac and beetroot. Turn all of this through the dressing, seasoning as required. Set aside for around 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavours to merge and add a few whole hazelnuts on top when you are ready to serve along with an additional spin of extra virgin olive oil.
If you are preparing this for a Christmas meal, you may wish to alternate the hazelnuts with spiced cashews, which are very easy to make, just mix some ground spices together and turn through the cashews with a little olive oil – roast briefly in the oven or carefully fry off on the stove top in a heavy pan.