Grilled Olive Orange Fennel Flatbread Recipes

GRILLED FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Brush the fennel with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until slightly charred and almost cooked through. Place fennel on a platter and scatter orange segments over the top. Whisk together the orange juice, zest, mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad. Sprinkle with almonds and mint and serve.

WARM OLIVES WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Prepare a hot fire (400°F) in a wood-fired oven, cooker, or grill.
• Soak the picholine and niçoise olives in water to cover for 10 minutes, then drain. Combine the drained olives, oil-cured olives, oil, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, and orange zest in a baking dish and roast uncovered until the garlic is fragrant and the olives are hot, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Toss to combine. Let cool slightly, then serve warm. To store, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month. The flavor gets better with time. Rewarm to serve.

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK WITH SHAVED FENNEL, ORANGE, AND GREEN OLIVE TAPENADE

Steps:

• Lay the skirt steak flat on a baking sheet and season evenly on both sides with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside so the flavors can sink in a bit.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Add the fregola and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the pasta for 15 minutes until the pellets are al dente. Drain and cool.
• Preheat an outdoor grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Rub the grill with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the onion slices for 2 minutes, turning often, until charred on both sides. Remove them from the grill and set aside.
• Lay the steaks on the grill and cook, turning with tongs from time to time, to sear well on all sides; this takes about 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 2 or 3 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate.
• In the meantime, make the salad. In a large mixing bowl, combine the fregola, grilled onion, fennel, radishes, arugula, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 or 6 plates. Arrange 4 or 5 slices of orange on top of each plate. Cut each skirt steak into 3 equal pieces, then turn each piece sideways and cut into thin slices against the grain, ensuring tenderness. Shingle the sliced meat on top of the salad. Spoon some of the tapenade on top and serve immediately.
• Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times. Scrape down the sides of the processor and pulse 2 more times; the tapenade should be coarsely chopped. It will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Fregola
• Fregola, sometimes called Italian couscous, is a terrific addition to your pantry. It's much more interesting than regular pasta and has a unique texture. The pasta dough is rubbed by hand to form little pellets, which are then toasted to give a distinctive nutty flavor. If hard pressed, you can use Israeli couscous, but there really is no substitute for fregola. It is worth getting your hands on. It also makes great risotto (page 116).