This light, refreshing salad with fennel, citrus, candied kumquats, herbs, and toasted pecans bring brightness and balance to the holiday table. It cuts through the opulence of a thanksgiving feast while complementing traditional flavors.
Active time: 45 min • Total time: 45 min
3 Quarts
1 1/2 cups
8
Ingredients
For Salad
- 2 ea fennel bulb, shaved thin ~1/2 cm (fronds reserved for garnish)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pint citrus supremes, mixed
- 1 cup kumquats, sliced 1/4cm, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 bunch fresh herbs (tarragon, mint marigold, basil, fennel fronds)
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted
For Dressing
- 1/2 cup citrus juice, leftover from supreme scraps
- Citrus zest (lemon/orange)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dijon
- 2 Tbsp shallot, minced
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Sourcing Tip:
Sub any nut you’d like; pistachio and pine nut work great.
Instructions
- Prep fennel (10 min) Slice bulbs thinly (½ cm), toss with 1 tsp kosher salt, and set aside. (Can rest a few hours; drain before dressing.)
- Prep citrus (10 min)
- Candy kumquats (15 min) Slice kumquats thin, remove seeds. Cover with water, bring to boil, drain. Then simmer in 1½ cups water with ½ cup sugar until translucent, about 10 min. Strain and cool.
- Make dressing (5 min) In a small bowl, whisk together citrus juice, zest, shallot, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Balance with vinegar and adjust seasoning.
- Assemble (5 min) Toss drained fennel with dressing, citrus supremes, herbs, and kumquats. Taste, adjust seasoning, and top with toasted pecans. Chef Tip: You can dress about 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors marry. Be sure to check again for seasoning, as it will continue to water down as it sits.
Zest the lemon or orange before cutting, then supreme the mixed citrus, catching juice for the dressing.
Chef Tip: This is a great way to use every part of the citrus — zest for fragrance, juice for the dressing, and segments for the salad.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
Ideal Temp: Serve cold
Leftover Recs: Salad will be good next day but may lose a bit of crunch and need to be redressed/seasoned.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate covered.
Best By: 30 min
Favorite Beverage Pairing, if any: Whites with good acidity; sauv blanc/riesling
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