Fennel and courgette salad with preserved lemon dressing

Ingredients

Salad

• 20g mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 20g dill, roughly chopped
• 25g chives, roughly cut into 2cm lengths
• 75ml olive oil
• 2 large fennel bulbs (750g), trimmed, halved lengthways and finely shaved on a mandolin or by hand
• 2 courgettes (420g), trimmed and finely shaved into strips on a mandolin or by hand
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted and roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• 1½ tsp pink peppercorns, roughly crushed with a pestle and mortar
• salt and black pepper

Preserved lemon dressing

• 40g preserved lemon (1–2 lemons), pips discarded and flesh and skin roughly chopped (35g)
• ½ small shallot, roughly chopped (20g)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 2½ tbsp olive oil

Procedure

1. Make the dressing by putting the preserved lemon, shallot, garlic and lemon juice into the small bowl of a food processor and blitzing until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blitz for 1–2 minutes more, until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Put all the herbs, 4 tablespoons of oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper into the food processor and pulse to finely chop.
3. Add the fennel, courgette, lemon juice, ⅔ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper to a large bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften, then add the herb mixture and toss together well.
4. Transfer half the salad to a large plate, and spoon over half the dressing and half the fennel seeds and pink peppercorns. Repeat once more, drizzle with the last tablespoon of oil and serve right away.