Adam Byatt’s citrus, fennel and burrata salad

Name: Adam Byatt’s citrus, fennel and burrata salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 citrus fruit (Adam uses 1 of each: mandarin or blood orange, bergamot, grapefruit, lime); 1 red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped; Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle; 4 burrata, at room temperature; ½ fennel bulb, cored, finely sliced and kept in iced water

Portion size: Serves 4
Prep time 15 min
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

Vegetarian

Recipe by: Adam Byatt

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In the kitchen, chef Adam Byatt keeps things refreshingly gadget-free – but he doesn’t skimp on good knives. Read his tips, then hone your knife skills by making his creamy-tangy citrus, fennel and burrata salad.

““This dish requires only a few simple ingredients, so buy the best quality,” says Adam. “We use top-quality burrata and really good olive oil. Try to find bergamot if you can.” Watch Adam talk through his essential knife kit and demo this recipe on YouTube.

Check out Adam’s incredible chicken curry recipe, too.

Before you start

Adam’s cutting-edge knife advice
“A lot of the stuff on the market is just for show. You don’t need a 12-piece knife set. What you do need, however, is the following…

Chopping boards
I use the Parker Asahi Synthetic Pro Cutting Board . They’re expensive but would last a lifetime at home. Non-porous and soft to cut on. Treat yourself; you won’t regret it. I also have a large custom-made wooden butcher’s block at home – it’s seen some serious action.

A solid, well-balanced cook’s knife
25cm/10” is plenty. A knife with a blade that runs through the handle is best. I use carbon steel, which has the upsides of refinement and sharpness, but it does look nasty if not polished (and they need sharpening a lot). One of mine is from Japanese brand Misono.

A paring knife for veg and small jobs
A plastic-handled Victorinox is fine. They’re cheap and replaceable every couple of years.

A thin, flexible-bladed knife
It’s handy for segmenting citrus, skinning and filleting fish and carving delicate veg. I love the MAC Superior Series 21.6cm/8½” Fillet Knife.

A serrated knife
For more than just slicing bread (cutting tough meat joints, for example). It’s a key piece of kit; I use a Victorinox 26cm/10” pastry knife.

A great peeler
I’ve only ever used the Kuhn Rikon Swiss Peeler and I always will. Now you have the right knives, try the citrus and burrata salad below. It requires precision segmenting but it’s a great way to test your knife skills and create something that looks fantastic.

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Ingredients

4 citrus fruit (Adam uses 1 of each: mandarin or blood orange, bergamot, grapefruit, lime)
1 red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
4 burrata, at room temperature
½ fennel bulb, cored, finely sliced and kept in iced water

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Method

Use a small, sharp and flexible knife (see above) to top and tail the citrus fruit, then cut away the peel, removing the white pith as you do so. Working over a bowl, cut out the segments, avoiding any pith and creating neat pieces of fruit. Let the pieces drop into the bowl. Once all the segments have been cut out, give the remains of the fruit a good squeeze to extract the juice over the cut pieces.
Put the chilli in a bowl, then pour over the citrus juices (reserving the citrus segments). Add roughly the same amount of olive oil as there is juice in the bowl – you want a 50:50 mix. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Cut the knotted top off each burrata (if there is one) and put them in the centre of serving plates. Arrange the citrus segments around the outside in a fanned circle, alternating the colours. Season the cut top of the burrata with salt and pepper. Drain the fennel, toss with a little of the chilli dressing, then put a nest of the fennel on top of each burrata. Dress liberally with the remaining dressing.
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Nutrition

566kcals Calories
49g (25g saturated) Fat
13g Protein
16g (16g sugars) Carbs
2g Fibre
0.8g Salt

Cook smarter

Bergamot (its peel is used in earl grey tea) is thought to be a cross between lemon and bitter orange. You can buy them at Ocado and Waitrose, or use another citrus.