Fennel, orange, radish and olive salad

Fennel, orange, radish and olive salad Photo: Lauraine Jacobs

Perfect to accompany a hearty lamb casserole or a beef steak, this is a robust salad that can be made, dressed and refrigerated until needed.

1 large fresh fennel bulb
3 fresh NZ oranges
3 fresh radishes
2 tbsps small pitted black olives
2 tbsp chopped parsley or mint
For the dressing:
1 lime, zest and juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or Fennel oil)
½ tsp French mustard
1 tsp salt
Good grinding of black pepper

Trim the hard core and any tough upper stalks from the fennel bulb and slice it in half lengthwise.
Using a very sharp knife, or better still a Japanese mandolin, slice the fennel very finely.

Peel the oranges with a knife so there's no white pith showing on the exterior. Slice the oranges horizontally.

Remove the top from the radishes and slice these into thin rounds.

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl, or shaking them together in a jar,

To assemble the salad, pile the fennel in the middle of the pate. Surround the fennel with the orange slices, carefully overlapping them.

Place the radish slices between the fennel and the orange, and scatter over the olives.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and finish with the chopped herbs. 
Serves 6 as a side dish or four as a starter with crusty bread.