Apple and fennel slaw with candied pecans

New

Salad Easy

Serves 4-6

Prep 25 min

Cook 35 min

Apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah are a promise that the year ahead will be sweet, but this slaw works just as well with a simple roast chicken as it does alongside more ceremonial dishes. The fennel adds a gentle anise flavour that works beautifully with the honey-roasted pecans, and the whole thing stays crisp and bright even when dressed ahead.

We loved the pecans as a snack on their own too - make extra and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

FOR THE PECANS
150g	pecans, roughly chopped
60ml	runny honey
1½ tsp	fennel seeds
FOR THE DRESSING
45ml	apple cider vinegar
1 tsp	fennel seeds, toasted and lightly ground in a pestle and mortar
45ml	runny honey
20g	dijon mustard
1	lemon zested and squeezed to get 1 tbsp juice
100ml	sunflower or another neutral oil
FOR THE SLAW
1 small	hispi cabbage (350g), sliced into ½ cm thick slices
1 large	fennel bulb (about 250g), trimmed, halved, and very thinly sliced on a mandoline or with a sharp knife
1- 2	pink lady apples (200g), cut in half and thinly sliced
15g	picked mint, roughly chopped
	fine sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C.
Start with the pecans. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Mix the pecans, honey, fennel seeds and ¼ teaspoon of salt on the tray and roast, mixing halfway through, for about 20 minutes, until deeply golden. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the vinegar, toasted fennel seeds, honey, mustard, lemon zest and juice and sunflower oil with ¾ teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Whisk until completely smooth.
To assemble, add the cabbage, fennel, apples and mint to the dressing bowl, mix well and layer on a serving platter with clusters of the pecans.