This seemingly strange combination is delicious. I learned it from Mariano Sanz Pech, whose excellent olive oil we've been selling at Zingerman's for many years. It's refreshing and ideal for warm summer days. I love the contrast in color, texture, and flavor of the orange slices, olive oil, and mint.
You can also serve this salad with chopped hard-boiled egg. If you're feeling adventurous, it's also excellent topped with shredded bacalao (raw salt cod).
Ingredients
2 navel oranges, peeled, pith removed, cut into thin wedges, plus 1 navel orange, halved
4-6 large fresh mint leaves, torn
1 ounce Jamón Serrano, cut into slivers
2 tablespoons whole blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
10 cured black olives, such as Farga Aragon
Coarse sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, preferably a medium fruity Spanish one
Instructions
Arrange the orange slices on a small serving platter. Top with the mint, Jamón Serrano, almonds, olives, a sprinkle of sea salt, pepper, and the olive oil. Squeeze half of the remaining orange over the salads just before serving (reserve the other orange half for another use).
Adapted from Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating: How to Choose the Best Bread, Cheeses, Olive Oil, Pasta, Chocolate and Much More by Ari Weinzweig, (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003).
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