Note: To slice the onion and fennel in the following salad into paper-thin spirals, we used a Japanese rotary device known as the Benriner vegetable slicer.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-large red onion
1 large fennel bulb (sometimes called anise, about 1 pound)
3 large navel oranges
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
Directions
Heat a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot and toast coriander seeds, stirring, until fragrant and a little darker, about 2 minutes. With a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder or cleaned electric coffee grinder, grind coriander to a coarse powder. In a bowl, whisk together coriander and remaining dressing ingredients.Dressing may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered
With a Japanese rotary slicer or other thin-slicing device, slice onion crosswise into thin spirals or rings. In a bowl of ice and cold water, soak onion (separate rings if necessary) 15 minutes.
Trim stalks from fennel and with slicing device, thinly slice fennel bulb crosswise.
With a sharp knife, cut a slice from top and bottom of each orange to expose flesh and arrange cut side down on a cutting board. cutting from top to bottom, remove peel and pith. Cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Drain onion well and pat dry between paper towels.
Arrange fennel, onion and orange decoratively on a platter and scatter with mint. Whisk dressing and drizzle over salad.
