Grilled Fennel Salad with Stage Bacon, Apple & Blue Cheese Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 Bulbs of Fennel, tops removed, cut in half & then half each side again, delicately rinsed & dried.*
- 6 Strips of Bacon (I used Stage bacon, but any high quality bacon will do).
- 2 Small Apples (mine came from Saanich Organics).
- 1/3 C Blue Cheese, crumbled.
- 1 Lemon for Juice.
- 1 Batch of Balsamic Reduction
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
Instructions
- Pre-heat your grill to medium heat.
- Meanwhile, toss the fennel with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper.Once hot, place the fennel on the grill and close the lid. Let grill about 5 minutes per side or until lightly blackened and tender. Carefully remove from the heat and set aside.
- As the fennel grills, core and dice the apples and immediately toss with the lemon juice and a bit of water to prevent browning.
- Next, heat a medium sized frying pan over medium-high heat. As it heats, line up the bacon on a cutting board lengthwise. Now slice relatively thin slices across the girth of the bacon. Once hot, toss in the bacon pieces and fry until crispy. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain.
- Now that it's cooled, throw the bacon in a bowl and combine well with the diced apples, blue cheese and a little pepper.
- Assemble!: Place one piece of fennel on a plate. Top with a small handful of the slaw mixture and drizzle with a couple Tbsp of the balsamic vinegar. Gently season with salt and pepper if necessary - though it probably won't be because the cheese and bacon should provide all the salt you need.
- Serve either hot or at room temperature.
- Eat.
Recipe by She Eats at https://sheeats.ca/2011/10/grilled-fennel-salad-with-stage-bacon-apple-blue-cheese-slaw/