Fennel & Orange Salad

Choose rounded bulbs of fennel and pull off and discard the coarse outer layers. Trim off the root and the stalks, saving any feathery leaves. Cut the fennel top to base and slice finely across the bulb beginning at the top; a mandoline makes this task easy. Toss with a little lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Trim the top and bottom off an orange to expose the flesh. Place on a board and run a knife close to the flesh following the curve of the fruit, thus removing the pith and skin. Now hold the pithless orange in one hand and, working over a bowl to collect the juice, slide a small sharp knife on either side of the pith to release the segments. Toss the fennel and orange segments with some of your best olive oil and a spoonful of the roughly chopped fennel leaves. Taste for seasoning before serving, adding a little of the collected orange juice but taking care not to flood the salad; a few Ligurian olives make a delicious addition.