This dressing goes with the Fennel and Blood Orange Salad. If blood oranges aren’t in season, use another orange. The use of fennel oil and orange blossom water add depth of flavor and emphasis to the salad ingredients. Using orange blossom water this way is inspired by Moroccan cuisine where it is sometimes drizzled on a dish at the last moment to add aroma. If you do not have this or the fennel oil, don’t worry, the dressing will still be quite good.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup fresh blood orange juice (around 2 oranges) 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar A pinch of salt and a fresh ground pepper 1/8th teaspoon ground fennel seed powder 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (you may not need it all)* ¾ cup grapeseed, sunflower, or light flavored olive oil -OR- ½ cup of oil as above PLUS ¼ cup oil from Fennel Confit (see recipe) 1 tablespoon fennel fronds, snipped finely (roughly 1/8th inch) with scissors
METHOD:
Put the vinegar into a non-reactive bowl with the salt, pepper, and fennel seed. Allow to steep 15 minutes.
Add the orange juice, and half the orange blossom water and whisk together.
Whisk in the oil in a slow steady stream to form the vinaigrette. Taste for the orange blossom water; it should be just present in the background adding a floral lift to the flavor. If you can not taste it, add a little bit at a time until it comes out. Be careful as too much will render the dressing very bitter/metallic tasting. When the flavors are balanced, add the fennel fronds and whisk in.
Dressing is ready and will keep 2-3 days. If you wish to keep the dressing longer, do not use the fennel fronds, then the dressing will 1-2 weeks before fading.
Chef’s Notes:
*Orange Blossom Water is available at Middle Eastern and Indian groceries, as well as gourmet stores, and many grocery stores. Corta is good brand. Orange Blossom Water can vary in strength, so smell/taste before using, and add a little at a time to avoid ruining the dish you put it into. Besides the dressing, it is nice in yogurt and smoothies, good for perfuming couscous and chicken braises, and can be used as a room freshener. It keeps a very long time.
If you do not have it, or the fennel oil, the dressing will still work out. This dressing would be a nice complement to seafood, or roast carrots or beets. The blood oranges give the dressing a lovely color and usually have a little more acid than other oranges, so it might be necessary to add a little more vinegar to the dressing if you do not use blood oranges.
Yield: 1 cup
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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