BRAISED FENNEL SALAD WITH PEARS AND BURATTA

By dyannucci

DAY recipe adapted from Babbo
SERVES 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 heads fennel, fronds and core removed, cut into 1/4 inch batons use food processor julienne slicer
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe pears, Bartlett or Comice, seed core removed and very thinly sliced 1/8 inch on mandoline
• 1 cup watercress, washed and spun dry
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 to 6 dollops of buratta
• Pepper jelly sauce
• 2 cups sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• Thin slices of 2 jalelapeno plus cayenne
• 4 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
• 4 tablespoons cherry vinegar
• Braceola Dried Italian ham 2 slices per plate
• Pomegranate seeds for garnish
• Candied walnuts

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Place chopped walnuts in bowl and coat t with egg whites.
Spread sugar on baking sheet and coat walnuts. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Place in airtight container for up to a month.

In a 12 to 14 inch sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil until smoking and add the fennel. Cook, stirring regularly, until it is softened and golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and continue cooking until very soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the fennel from the pan and set aside to cool. Can be made ahead several hours-refrigerate

Pepper jelly:
Place all contents except cayenne in small pan.
Boil vigorously for 8 minutes then softly for 5 minutes, Check for heat and add cayenne as needed.
Cool and store up to 3 months. Should have consistency of honey. If too thin reduce some more. If too thick add vinegar and reduce
Place pepper jelly in plastic squeeze bottle

Divide the pears evenly among four warmed dinner plates. In a small bowl, combine the fennel and watercress with the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Place pepper jelly on plate in diagonal pattern

Divide this mixture evenly among the plates, the pear slices on each side and braceola folded in half and then half agein on top of pears.. Sprinkle basil chiffonade and candied walnuts over each plate, Place dollop of buratta on top of salad and drizzle cherry vinegar, use pomegranate seeds for garnish and serve.