Taste of the Spice Isles - Citrus and Avocado Salad and Caramelised Orange Peel

This week's receipe will impress the likes of the A-listers and they don't even know how easy it is to make. It is a perfect post diner refreshment when the salt you have taken in needs to find its equilibrium with sugar again which makes the taste sensation all the more poignant.

A refreshing and attractive citrus and avocado salad, ideal with grilled oily fish.

Ingredients
Mixed red and green lettuce or other salad leaves
2 sweet pink grapefruits
1 large or 2 small avocados, peeled, stoned (pitted) and sliced

For the dressing
90ml/6 tablespoons extra-virgin oil
30ml/ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
1 garlic clove, crushed 
5ml/ 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and ground black pepper

For the caramelized peel
4 oranges and the juice of one
50g/2oz/ ¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
60ml/4 tablespoons cold water
Method
To make the caramelized peel, using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the rind from the oranges in thin strips and reserve the fruit. Scrape away the white pith from the underside of the rind with a small, sharp knife, and cut the rind into fine shreds.

Put the sugar and water in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the shreds of orange rind, increase the heat and boil steadily for 5 minutes, or until the rind is tender. Using two forks, remove the orange rind from the syrup and spread it out on a wire rack to dry. Reserve the cooking syrup to add to the dressing.

Wash and dry the lettuce or other salad leaves and tear or chop them into bite size pieces. Using a sharp knife, remove the pith from the oranges and the pith and peel from the grapefruit. Hold the citrus fruits over a bowl and cut out each segment leaving the membrane behind. Squeezing the remaining juice from the membrane in the bowl.

Put all the dressing ingredients into as screw-top jar and shake well. Add the reserved syrup and adjust the seasoning to taste. Arrange the salad ingredients on plates with the scliced avocado. Spoon over the dressing and sprinkle with the caramelized peel. Serve immediately.
​