Let’s try something different this week.
I know the memes and the jokes- I make them myself on occasion. The “Get To The MF Recipe Already” bit. I get it, I do, but I also understand and welcome that the reasons my subscribers are here varies.
Perhaps some of you are here solely for food/ recipes, maybe some of you gather for more of the prose. Regardless, I’ll cut to the chase first, and share with you two recipes from the first meal I made for Anaya, about a month after we began dating.
A meal for when it is barely spring (it isn’t yet, but a boi can dream) that is as simple as it is impressive. Since it’s still winter, this dish is the perfect thing to make when you’re begging for sun and the citrus is still the best it’ll be.
See? I can be quiet. No need for a “jump to recipe” button, at least not today.
I Think I’m Falling in Love with You Citrus + Burrata Salad
*make sure you’re nervous and slice your fennel like an absolute idiot/heathen, for starters/good measure
1 large ruby red grapefruit, cut into supremes (watch a YouTube video if you don’t know how. Bonus points if you do it in front of your date for extra impressive points. I promise it sounds cooler/harder than it is) *of course you can sub for equally beautiful citrus such as blood orange but I do love the sour contrast of the grapefruit against the olives
1 small bulb of fennel, halved, cored and cut lengthwise, as thin as your nervous/preoccupied brain will allow
1 ball, about 4 oz, burrata cheese, drained and set on top of a paper towel to absorb some of the *wet*
Fine sea salt + Maldon (optional but very nice and not pictured here, I’ll explain later)
Fresh cracked papper (also not here, but allow me to explain. Later)
Good quality olive oil
A handful of pitted Castelvetrano olives, sliced lengthwise *crush them with the back of a knife if you can’t find them pitted and slice them the best you can or whack them on the plate as it for a more rustic vibe
Supreme your grapefruit over a colander you’ve set into a bowl to collect the juices that run down, you’ll want that for later. Allow the segments to hang out while you prep the rest of the salad.
Toss your prepared fennel with just a small drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and a couple cranks of fresh pepper. Set aside.
In the bowl of grapefruit juice you collected, whisk in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil with sea salt to taste and more pepper. If your grapefruit wasn’t particularly sweet, consider adding just a touch of honey but really not too much. The dressings first taste shouldn’t be ‘sweet’ but rather on the back/finish. I also like to add a splash of olive juice from the jar, but as you wish. I also sometimes like to add a bit of chili oil to this but I didn’t this time because I wasn’t sure what Anaya would think and I was *laser focused*
Toss the grapefruit segments and fennel with the vinaigrette. It should be lightly coasted, not swimming, so if you have a bit extra, set aside.
Arrange on a plate, setting the burrata in the middle, slicing down the center of the cheese and allowing the center to blossom out. Sprinkle the dish’s perimeter with the olives.
Drizzle the burrata with just a bit of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, and Maldon if you’re using.
Serve immediately.
Notes from the photo-
-I served Anaya his salad on a plate individually and not “family style” like I normally would as I was still making dinner and this was the salad course. TLDR it isn’t as pretty
-Maldon? Where? Not here because this day I learned to never leave my house without a tupperware of it when I’m cooking in someone else’s kitchen
-Fresh cracked pepper? Where? See above. I love Anaya and Anaya loves to eat. Anaya doesn’t really cook… the rest is history and lots of Cooking In Other People’s Kitchens lessons were learned this day
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