Lydia Reichert’s Winter Citrus Salad

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The height of New England winter seems as good a time as any for a vitamin C boost. Enter chef Lydia Reichert’s citrus salad. Tangy mandarins, oranges, grapefruit and pomelo are balanced by creamy avocado, salty feta, buttery green olives and crunchy pistachios. Reichert, who is currently in the process of opening Jinny’s Pizzeria in Newton with longtime cohort and collaborator Dave Punch (of Sycamore, Buttonwood and Little Big Diner), tops the colorful, thirst-quenching plate with a homemade vinaigrette, featuring shallots, mustard and orange blossom water.

Details

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 sprig thyme, picked
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • pinch salt
For the salad:
  • 3 mandarins
  • 2 Cara Cara oranges
  • 2 blood oranges
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 pomelo
  • 2 avocados
  • 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and lightly crushed
  • salt, to taste

Directions

For the vinaigrette:
  1. In a bowl, soak the shallot in the lemon juice with a pinch of salt to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Dijon, thyme and orange blossom water, then slowly whisk in the oil. Set aside.
For the salad:
  1. Peel all the citrus (except the mandarins) with a knife, trying to keep as much flesh as possible while removing all of the pith. Then cut the grapefruit and pomelo into segments, and the Cara Cara and blood oranges into rounds. For the mandarin, peel the skin off with your fingers and separate into segments, leaving the membranes intact.
  2. Peel and dice the avocados (if prepping ahead of time, dress with a little of the vinaigrette so it doesn’t oxidize.)
  3. To assemble, place the citrus flat on a platter, letting each color be visible, and season lightly with salt.  Scatter the avocado on top, and then the feta, olives and pistachios. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.

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