Fennel's aniseedy crunch pairs really well with fruit, the classic combination being orange, but summer stone fruits such as nectarines or peaches are also delicious. This salad can be knocked up in no time and brought along to a picnic or BBQ.
3 ripe nectarines
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 bulb of fennel
half a lemon
1 ball of mozzarella
1 red chilli
olive oil
sea salt
Step 1.
Cut your nectarines in half and remove the stones. Cut these into equal sized slices and place in a small mixing bowl. Add a tbsp of cider vinegar, small pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and toss. Add the nectarine to a serving plate.
Step 2.
Finely slice your fennel using a peeler so it is wafer thin or use a knife. Save some of the fronds for garnishing at the end. Add to the bowl and squeeze over the lemon, a small pinch of salt and a little olive oil. Set aside.
Step 3.
Tear the mozzarella ball onto the nectarines, then scatter over the shaved fennel. Finely chop the chilli and fennel fronds and add on top of the fennel. Drizzle over a little more olive oil and serve!
Recipe by Martin Hill