Watermelon, chicory and salty pecorino salad with toasted pistachios and fennel herb

30 MINUTES | SERVES 4-6 | EASY |

Watermelons are the perfect food for a hot day – fresh, juicy, vibrant and cooling. They are nature’s antidote to the sweltering heat. This salad is one of my favourites, a very simple dish that is typical of the way Sicilians put things together, with seasonal produce at its best. It transports me straight back to long summer lunches both in Sicily and at home.

LC GF

watermelon 1 small

red chicory 2 small heads, stalks trimmed, leaves separated and large ones halved moscatel vinegar or white balsamic 50ml

pistachios (preferably green Iranian) 65g

aged pecorino (such as sardo, or a good aged parmesan) 150g, cut into irregular shards

groundnut oil 70ml

fennel fronds, fennel herb or

• Cut the melon in half through the width and reserve half for another use. Peel the other half of skin and the white pith, and then dice the flesh into 2cm pieces and put in a bowl along with the chicory leaves, season with salt and pepper, and mix in the vinegar.

• Put a frying pan over a medium heat and toss in the pistachios, dry cooking for a few minutes, tossing, until they are fragrant and have started to release their oil. Season liberally with salt, roughly chop and mix into the watermelon.

• Fold in the pecorino and add the groundnut oil and fennel fronds. Briefly mix again and arrange so you can see all the elements. Serve.

PER SERVING (6) 435 KCALS | FAT 25.2G

SATURATES 7.9G | CARBS 39.1G | SUGARS 37.3G

FIBRE 2.3G | PROTEIN 11.6G | SALT 0.6G dill a handful