Lamb & Fennel Salad with Hazelnut Dressing

This lamb and fennel salad borrows Spanish picada technique for its dressing: toasted hazelnuts, garlic, bread, and lemon juice blend into a creamy emulsion that’s far more interesting than standard vinaigrette. Bread is the secret that gives this dressing its body (mashed to a paste with garlic, then processed with ground nuts, it creates a silky, thickened sauce without eggs or cream).

The salad itself is a study in Mediterranean contrasts. Sliced lamb, crisp fennel, and bitter endive arrange on a bed of spinach around a small bowl of the hazelnut dressing, so each forkful can be dipped to taste. Crumbled tangy chevre (goat cheese) scattered across the top brings the whole composition together. It’s a plating trick borrowed from tapas bars that makes the dressing a focal point rather than a pool under everything.

Chef Tips

• Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, then rub off the skins with a clean towel. Untoasted hazelnuts taste raw and bitter.
• Use day-old bread. Fresh bread is too soft to mash properly and will make the dressing gluey.
• Slice the lamb paper-thin. Thick slices compete with the delicate fennel and endive.
• Assemble just before serving. The spinach wilts quickly once dressed.

Variations

• Swap lamb for seared duck breast or rare roast beef for variety.
• Use walnuts or pistachios in place of hazelnuts for different flavor profiles.
• Add pomegranate seeds or thinly sliced oranges for a bright, seasonal touch.