Sicilian Salt-Cod and Blood Orange Salad with Red Onions and Olives
This unusual, red and white salad accents fluffy bits of cod with tart blood oranges, red onions and olives, and a roasted chili pepper adding a touch of heat. A light dish with strong, varied flavors. Blood oranges and olives are a common Mediterranean combination; at the restaurant we use them both in our roasted beet salad.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: The Essential Mediterranean
1 cup shredded soaked salt cod (here’s how to do that)
2 blood oranges
1/3 cup pitted coarsely chopped black olives
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 small fresh red or green chili pepper, roasted, seeded, and thinly sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
pinch of dried Sicilian or Greek oregano, crumbled
salad greens, such as escarole or frisée (optional)
Peel the blood oranges and [segment them]. Slice the flesh into small chunks-you should have about 1 cup of orange chunks [I just cut the segments in half. If your blood oranges are very small, I would leave the segments whole]. Combine the orange chunks in a bowl with the olives, onion, chili, oil, vinegar, salt cod, and oregano. Toss to mix well. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour to meld the flavors.
To serve, arrange the greens, if using, on a serving platter and mound the salad on top.
I also made another salt cod dish from the book, Spanish Salt-Cod and Red Pepper Salad with Fingerling Potatoes
