By Week 421. Year 9. Tommy is 41. Spring cleaning and pit maintenance. The mortar checked, the grate inspected, the tools organized. The business running steady — DeShawn handling the big jobs, Marcus on the commercial side, the name Beaumont on the vans and the invoices and the reputation. Rémy (12) in school, cooking and fishing. The garden is producing. The bayou is running. The roux is turning.
Made pan-fried fish this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The spoon doesn't stop.
The fish was the centerpiece, but a good table asks for something beside it — something that speaks to the season without competing with the main. Rémy’s been pulling fennel from the garden, and the citrus we’d been holding onto finally felt right to use. This orange, fennel, and avocado salad came together in about ten minutes, and it sat next to that pan-fried fish like it had always belonged there — cool and bright against the heat of the cast iron, the kind of side dish that makes the whole plate feel intentional.
Orange, Fennel and Avocado Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 large navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds or supremed
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced, fronds reserved
- 1 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced
- 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh fennel fronds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the produce. Peel the oranges and slice into 1/4-inch rounds, or cut into supremes by slicing away the pith and cutting between the membranes. Thinly slice the fennel bulb on a mandoline or with a sharp knife, reserving the delicate fronds. Slice the avocado just before assembling to prevent browning.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Soak the onion. Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the sharpness. Drain and pat dry.
- Assemble the salad. Arrange the orange slices on a serving platter. Layer the fennel slices and avocado over the top. Scatter the drained red onion evenly across the salad.
- Dress and garnish. Drizzle the dressing over the assembled salad. Top with fresh fennel fronds and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 155mg