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Donal Skehan
Shaved Courgette & Fennel Salad with Lemon & Aged Irish Cheese | DonalSkehan.com
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Shaved Courgette & Fennel Salad with Lemon & Aged Irish Cheese

June 05

This crisp, refreshing salad balances shaved courgette and fennel with bright lemon, fragrant herbs, and rich aged cheddar. The toasted hazelnuts add crunch, while a quick ice bath keeps the veg extra crisp. Simple, elegant, and full of flavour. Serves six as a side salad

  • serves Serves 6
  • time 20 minutes

Method

  1. 1. Zest the lemon and set aside. Then make the dressing by placing the fennel seeds and shallot into a bowl and squeezing over the juice of the lemon. Add a pinch of salt and stir to combine then set aside.
  2. 2. Now, using a mandoline, very thinly slice the courgettes and fennel into a bowl of iced water - this will help the vegetables retain their crunch.
  3. 3. Leave the vegetables in the iced water for 10 minutes then drain and place into a large serving bowl.
  4. 4. Add the extra virgin olive oil to the lemon juice and shallots then stir vigorously to emulsify. You can also do this by placing everything into a jar, screwing on the lid and shaking to combine.
  5. 5. Add the lemon zest to the vegetables in the bowl along with most of the herbs and toasted hazelnuts then drizzle with the dressing and stir everything to combine. Place into a serving bowl and shave over the cheese using a vegetable peeler. Serve dressed with a few more herbs, the remaining hazelnuts and a pinch of chilli flakes

Ingredients

 

2 large zucchini

2 fennel bulbs

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup dill, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped

2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, lightly bashed

3/4 cup aged Irish cheese (like Bookers Vintage Cheddar)

Pinch of chili flakes

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1/2 shallot, very finely sliced

2 large courgettes

2 fennel bulbs

Juice & zest of 1 lemon

Handful of dill, roughly chopped

Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

75g toasted hazelnuts, lightly bashed in a pestle & mortar

75g aged Irish cheese, such as Bookers Vintage Cheddar

Pinch of chilli flakes

For the dressing;

100ml extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a pestle & mortar

½ shallot, very finely sliced