Fennel, tuna, avocado & orange salad

and a weekend at Le Lude in Franschhoek

Hello friends, and welcome back!

I’m very into fennel. Sadly, I only started appreciating it later in life. It was this fennel salad with radishes and lemon that finally won me over. Somehow, the lemon and salt magically temper the strong aniseed flavour, which I think is what puts some people off this vegetable. I love how versatile it is, especially paired with roast chicken or grilled seafood.

If I’m not cooking fennel, I find the best way to enjoy it is raw, shaved thinly on a mandolin. Dunking it in iced water gives it a crisp, refreshing texture.

I’ve always loved the combination of orange, avocado, fennel, and radish, so adding tuna to the mix felt like a good idea. The first time I made this a few weeks ago, I got my hands on an incredible piece of sushi-grade tuna from Delicious Fish at the Oranjezicht market. The fish had been caught within 24 hours and was spectacular. Unfortunately, when I wanted to shoot the recipe for my website, the tuna wasn’t of the same quality, so I gave it a quick pan sear instead.

The first iteration of this fennel salad with tuna, orange and avocado

The original version was the above pic and more of a tuna crudo-style dish, perfect as a starter and to eat with a glass of bubbles. For this version, I turned it into a sharing salad. With the addition of the tuna, it becomes a complete meal, and ideal for a light lunch.

I used the last of the season’s pink Cara Cara oranges, which were amazing. However, any variety of orange would work just as well.

You will find the full recipe here.

A few of my other salads with fennel:

Fennel, radish and mint salad with lemon and ricotta

Panzanella salad with white anchovies & fennel

New potato salad with fennel and radish

Moroccan carrot and fennel salad with sultanas and pistachios

Avocado and orange salad with fennel

A weekend at Lily Pond House at Le Lude

I recently spent a lovely weekend in Franschhoek, staying at the stunning Lily Pond House on Le Lude Estate. Nestled behind the French Huguenot Monument, it’s an easy walk into town, making it perfectly located. The house is tucked away in a peaceful corner of the estate, offering breathtaking mountain views.

The Le Lude tasting room is top-notch and not to be missed. You can sit inside or relax on the lawns while enjoying the view. We also had an amazing meal at The Orangerie restaurant on the estate—it felt like being transported straight to France.

You can find all my pictures and more details about the weekend here.

Recent Recipes

In case you missed it I shared what is now my best ham & cheese croissant bake (other than the one I made for my first cookbook). It is decadent but so very delicious and a great way to feed a crowd for brunch. I’ve done a layer of buttery onions, leek and thyme but it’s also lovely without.

My best berry and apple crumble

While apple crumble is amongst my favourite desserts, adding mixed berries takes the whole thing to another level. I will probably never leave them out going forward. The flavour, the tartness, they just add so much. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, homemade creme anglaise (so easy) or fresh cream.

Yesterday, I was absolutely blown away to receive the award for Best Digital Creator and Galliova Champion at the Galliova Awards. The ceremony took place during a lovely lunch at Utopia Restaurant in Cape Town. When I began this journey nearly 15 years ago, the terms "Content Creator" or "Influencer" didn’t even exist. So, to still be here, doing what I’m so passionate about, feels incredibly special. I’m especially thrilled to be the first digital creator to win the Galliova Champion award. This industry can be both challenging and rewarding, so it’s truly wonderful to receive this recognition.

To see all my egg recipes click here

And for all my chicken recipes, click here.

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Sam x

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