Bittersweet Salad

Description

This recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi's vegetarian cookbook "Plenty". It was published in guardian.co.uk

• Serves two

Ingredients

• 2 blood oranges (or plain oranges)
• blood orange juice, as needed
• 20 ml lemon juice
• 60 ml maple syrup
• coarse sea salt and black pepper
• ½ tsp orange blossom water
• ½ small radicchio
• 1 small red endive (aka red chicory), leaves separated
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 handful small red leaves
• 150 g good-quality ricotta
• 20 g pine nuts, toasted
• 100 g pomegranate seeds (ie from 1 small fruit)

Directions

1. Slice off the top and base of each orange.
2. Cut down the sides of the orange, following its natural curve, to remove the skin and white pith.
3. Cut in between the membranes and put the individual segments into a bowl.
4. Squeeze the juice from the membrane and skin into a small saucepan.
5. Make up the juice in the pan to 110ml with extra blood orange juice.
6. Add the lemon juice, syrup and a pinch of salt, and bring to a light simmer.
7. Leave to reduce for 20–25 minutes, until you are left with three tablespoons of thick syrup.
8. Strain through a fine sieve, leave to cool down, then stir in the orange blossom water.
9. Pull apart the radicchio leaves, tear into largish pieces and put into a salad bowl.
10. Add the endive leaves, oil and some salt and pepper, and toss gently.
11. Divide the salad between two serving plates.
12. Dot with the orange segments, some small red leaves and spoonfuls of ricotta, building the salad up as you go.
13. Drizzle with the orange syrup and finish with a scattering of pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.