Warm Carrot, Orange and Endive Salad with Toasted Coriander

This is a simple salad that looks awfully fancy. Taking the extra few minutes to toast and grind the coriander seeds is the secret to being a fake gourmet. And if you’re going to grind the coriander seeds you may as well grind the black peppercorns while you’re at it. Can’t find endive? Leave it out. The recipe can’t see you.

Warm Carrot, Orange and Endive Salad with Toasted Coriander

1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
5 carrots (about 4 or 5 cups, but a little extra is fine)
1 tsp salt, divided
1 orange
1 endive
1 tbsp toasted walnut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil

In a small saucepan or skillet toast coriander seeds over medium heat for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until aromatic. Shake the pan occasionally to toast evenly. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind with the peppercorns. Or transfer to a ziploc bag along with peppercorns, and don’t close the bag completely (or it’ll explode when you crush it). Beat the outside of the bag with the bottom of a heavy pan or something not breakable, until the seeds are ground. You can also use a spice grinder or a blender, but wait until the coriander seeds have cooled before doing this or you’ll never get them out of the blender since the humidity will make it all stick. Remember that this will be worth it. And next time invest in a mortar and pestle…

Peel carrots and chop into the shape of thin french fries (à la McDonalds). If you don’t know what that means, it’s a little smaller than a AA battery, or a little bigger than matchsticks…

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add 1/2 tsp of salt and add the carrots. Cook 3-5 minutes. I like them really soft, but some people like a bit more crunch.

While the carrots are cooking remove the orange from its membrane by cutting off the bottom and top of the peel so it sits flat on the cutting board. Then cut all the orange skin and white pith away. Use a paring knife and hold the orange over a large serving bowl (to catch the runaway juices) to cut in between the sections, once on each side of every segment so the segment slides out from the membrane on its own. You may need to coax the pieces a little. Discard the membrane and place the orange segments in the large bowl with the juices.

Drain carrots and rinse under cold water for just 5 seconds to stop the cooking process a little and help preserve the bright orange colour, but not cool the carrots completely (or it won’t be a warm salad). Drain thoroughly and place in large bowl with orange segments. If you didn’t finish segmenting the orange before your timer for the carrots went, finish segmenting it now. It’s fine. Don’t worry.

Wash and dry endive and cut cross-wise into 1/2″ pieces. Discard the bottom stem as you would with a head of lettuce. Add endive to bowl of carrots and orange pieces. In a small bowl stir together oil, toasted spices and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour over vegetables and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.