Salting grapefruit and orange slices and draining the excess liquid keeps our citrus salad from being soggy.
Citrus Salad with Radicchio, Dates, and Smoked Almonds
SERVES 4 to 6 FAST VEG
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Savory salads made with oranges and grapefruit are an impressive way to showcase the colorful citrus fruits that thrive in the sunny, dry Mediterranean climate—but only if you can tame the bitterness of the grapefruit and prevent its ample juice from drowning the other components. We started by treating the grapefruit with salt and sugar to counter its bitter notes and draw out excess liquid. Draining the seasoned fruit enabled us to preemptively remove the excess juice, and reserving some to use in a simple mustard and shallot vinaigrette for the greens helped to make the salad more cohesive. Toasted, salted nuts added richness that contrasted nicely with the fruit and the assertively flavored radicchio, and chopped pitted dates added texture and extra sweetness. We prefer to use navel oranges, tangelos, or Cara Caras in this salad. Blood oranges can also be used, but because they are smaller you’ll need four of them.
2 red grapefruits
3 oranges
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small head radicchio (6 ounces), cored and sliced thin
⅔ cup chopped pitted dates
½ cup smoked almonds, chopped coarse
1. Cut away peel and pith from grapefruits and oranges. Cut each fruit in half from pole to pole, then slice crosswise ¼ inch thick. Transfer to bowl, toss with sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Drain fruit in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Arrange fruit on serving platter and drizzle with oil. Whisk reserved juice, shallot, and mustard together in medium bowl. Add radicchio, ⅓ cup dates, and ¼ cup almonds and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange radicchio mixture over fruit, leaving 1-inch border of fruit around edges. Sprinkle with remaining ⅓ cup dates and remaining ¼ cup almonds. Serve.
VARIATION
Citrus Salad with Arugula, Golden Raisins, and Walnuts FAST VEG
Substitute 6 ounces baby arugula for radicchio, ½ cup golden raisins for dates, and ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts for almonds.
Cutting Citrus into Pieces
1.Slice off top and bottom of citrus, then cut away peel and pith using paring knife.
2.Cut peeled fruit from pole to pole as directed, then cut crosswise into slices or pieces.
