Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

This simple grilled fennel salad dressed with a bright, tangy preserved lemon dressing is a great example of how fresh and flavorful summer can be without having to turn on your stove. Fennel’s bracing anise notes develop a milder, sweeter flavor when grilled. Combined with juicy oranges, sharp ricotta salata, pine nuts, fresh herbs and a burst of bright lemon acidity, this salad will give you Mediterranean vibes, no matter where you live.Making traditional preserved lemons from scratch takes time and patience, two to three months to be exact. Because we don’t expect you to wait all summer to make this salad, (Ina Garten voice) store-bought preserved lemons will work just fine. For the fennel, I like to cut bulbs into wedges for grilling. This makes them easy to turn on the grill without the risk of pieces falling through the grill grates. It is also a good hedge for preventing overcooking. Fennel is at its best when it retains some of its characteristic crunch. Once I get some char on all sides, I transfer the fennel to a bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel to trap steam. This method takes advantage of carryover cooking—after a few minutes in the sauna, the fennel achieves the perfect tender-crisp texture we’re after. All that’s left to do is cut up the wedges into bite-size pieces and toss with the creamy preserved lemon dressing.This salad is hearty enough to stand alone as a meal, or as an accompaniment to grilled meats or seafood. If you want to keep it plant-based, our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/plant-based-parmesan">Walnut Parmesan</a> is a great sub for the pine nuts and cheese, as is a plant-based feta.

Grilled Fennel Salad With Preserved Lemon Dressing