Chickpea, Fennel & Manchego Salad

This fresh, summer salad is bursting with taste and texture and showcases some of the finest Spanish ingredients; Talatta anchovies, Pons sherry vinegar, El Navarrico chickpeas, Serrano ham, Manchego cheese and hazelnuts. Paired with sweet, fragrant fennel and tangy orange, this salad is sure to impress at summer barbeques.

Serves 6

3 fresh Iranian dates, stoned and roughly chopped
2 Talatta anchovies, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup water
2 tsp orange zest, finely grated
Juice of one orange
2 Tbsp Pons sherry vinegar
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oranges
1 large fennel bulb, julienned with fronds reserved
325g jar El Navarrico chickpeas, drained
1 radicchio lettuce, shredded
 8-10 slices Serrano ham
½ cup Hazelz roasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
4 fresh dates, thinly sliced

To make the dressing put the dates, anchovies, garlic and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until it forms a soft paste and most of the liquid has evaporated. Place in a small food processor, add the orange juice and zest, sherry vinegar and EVO and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

To make the salad, peel the oranges with a knife to remove all the pith, then cut between each membrane to segment the orange, reserving the segments.

Place the fennel and chickpeas in a bowl and toss with half the dressing. Transfer to a serving platter and scatter over the radicchio and oranges. Tuck the Serrano ham amongst the salad and shave over the Manchego cheese. Scatter with the hazelnuts, sliced dates and fennel fronds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing or serve separately.