serves
6
prep
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ tsp white sugar
- ¼ head Chinese cabbage (wombok), finely shredded
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 50 g hard cheese (such as aged Gruyère, parmesan or pecorino), finely shaved
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp walnut oil (see Note)
Sitting time 30 minutes
I use salt and sugar to soften the texture and heat of the onion, and the flavour of the fennel. For the cabbage, a little time with salt and lemon juice helps to create a soft salad that has just a little resilience in the fatter bits of cabbage. You could toss walnuts through at the end to make this more of a complete meal.
Instructions
Toss onion with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp sugar in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, toss the cabbage with lemon juice and ½ tsp salt. In a third bowl, gently toss the fennel with 1 tsp salt and remaining 1 tsp sugar. Set all vegetables aside for 30 minutes.
When onion is ready, give it a quick rinse and drain well. Drain the fennel, squeezing gently to remove excess liquid.
Using your fingertips, toss cabbage, onion, fennel and parsley in a large bowl until combined. Add cheese and oils, and toss just enough to combine. Serve salad immediately.
Note
• Walnut oil is available from delis and health and specialist food shops.
As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 17, pg40.
Photography by Alan Benson
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
