Summer Entertainers Spread
+ with Citrus Salmon, Feta Honey Bread
& Fennel Slaw.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PREP + COOK TIME: 90 minutes
Ingredients
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Ingredients ✴
Crunchy Fennel & Almond Slaw:
1 large fennel bulb, cut into quarters & thinly sliced on a mandolin
¼ green cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 2 heaped cups worth)
1 cup roughly chopped herbs (I used a mix of dill, basil, mint & coriander)
½ cup toasted flaked almonds
⅓ cup dried currants
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp each full-fat Greek yoghurt & Best Foods mayonnaise
Zest & juice of ½ lemon (about 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice)
1 fat clove garlic, minced
1 tsp soft brown sugar
Citrus Baked Salmon:
2 regular-sized oranges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 Tbsp finely chopped dill + extra to garnish
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp each fennel seeds, wholegrain mustard & Dijon mustard
4 boneless, skin-on King salmon fillets (700g)
3 medium shallots, peeled & cut into quarters
¾ cup white wine or rosé
¼ cup Sicilian green olive brine
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Crispy Baked Feta & Honey Bread:
1 freshly baked ciabatta loaf (pick one that is long and flat, and make sure it was baked that day)
¼ –⅓ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup finely grated parmesan (finely grated on a microplane)
1 block creamy cow’s or goat’s milk feta cheese, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp good-quality runny honey + extra to serve
3 Tbsp toasted flaked almonds, to garnish
2 Tbsp finely chopped chives, to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
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Directions ✴
Crunchy Fennel & Almond Slaw: Add the fennel, cabbage, herbs, half of the flaked almonds and currants to a large bowl. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a small pot on medium heat. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the seeds sizzle and smell fragrant (be careful not to burn them). Transfer the hot oil and seeds to a small heat-proof bowl along with the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, garlic and brown sugar. Season with ¼ tsp fine table salt and mix together, until combined. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the slaw in the bowl. Toss everything together with clean hands, until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pile onto a platter and sprinkle over the remaining flaked almonds. Garnish with some extra herbs, if desired.
Citrus Baked Salmon: Preheat your oven to 200°C fan bake. Thinly slice one of the oranges into rounds and set aside. Zest the other orange to get roughly 2 tsp worth of orange zest, then juice the orange to get about ¼ cup orange juice. Add the orange zest, garlic, brown sugar, dill, lemon juice, fennel seeds, and both mustards to a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil and season with 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Mix everything together to combine. Set aside.
Combine the olive brine, wine and orange juice together in a jug with a large pinch of salt. Arrange the orange slices in the base of a medium roasting dish. Scatter the shallots over the top. Pour over the wine and orange juice mixture and drizzle everything with some extra virgin olive oil. Bake for an initial 10 minutes, or until the liquid is bubbling. Remove the roasting dish from the oven and arrange the salmon, skin side down, on top. Divide the mustard marinade over the top of the salmon and spread out over the top and sides of the salmon. Return the dish to the upper oven rack for a further 25 minutes, or until the salmon is golden brown on top and cooked through. If the liquid reduces too much in the oven, add ¼ cup water to the pan as the salmon cooks.
Arrange the salmon, orange slices and shallots over a serving platter. Spoon over the juices left in the pan. Garnish with some extra dill fronds, if desired.
Crispy Feta & Honey Bread: Preheat your oven to 200°C fan bake. Trim the top off the ciabatta with a large serrated knife (save the top for a sandwich!). Place the ciabatta onto a lined oven tray. Spread the crème fraîche over the ciabatta, so the entire cut surface is covered with a thin layer. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top then drizzle over about 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the slices of feta in a single layer over the top (don’t worry if some of it crumbles). Drizzle the honey on top of the feta, then drizzle everything generously with more virgin olive oil.
Bake on the upper-middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes, or until the feta is golden and starting to caramelise. Top the ciabatta with the flaked almonds and chives. Drizzle a little extra honey over the top, if desired. Serve the bread hot out of the oven.