Ingredients : Crunchy Anise salad with shaved Goat Cheese

Growing up I always had friends from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and often I would be invited for dinners where I would enthusiastically question their parents for the exact ingredients and origins of their favorite dishes. When I was 15 I was introduced to a simple fennel salad by an Uzbek friend who’s mom simply marinated sliced fennel in lemon juice and salt. My own anise version includes dill and shaved Petit Chistera, a mild but nutty sheep and goats milk cheese. If you have a hard time finding this at your local cheese shop use P’tit Basque or any of your favorite aged cheeses instead.

Cheese Notes: Both the Petit Chistera, and the P’tit Basque are made in the Pyrenees mountains region in the south France. The Petit Chistera is made of 59% sheep’s milk and 39% goat while the P’tit Basque is a 100% sheep’s milk cheese. Both are made of pasteurized milk and are aged a minimum of 70 days. Although I prefer the smoother profile of the Petit Chistera, it is currently more difficult to find in the USA and therefore recommend the P’tit Basque as an alternative.

Using fresh dill is important for this dish, and the complexity of the sweet but crunchy anise paired with the salty and crumbly cheese makes this dish one of my favorites.

Anise salad with dill and aged goat cheese.
Makes enough for 4 sides or 2 mains.

You will need:
1 large anise, thinly sliced, about 1/16 inch slices.
5 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
2 ounces Petit Chistera or P’tit Basque thinly shaved (see cheese notes)
Juice of half a lemon
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper.

1. Generously salt the sliced anise and let stand 5-8 minutes.
2. Coat salted anise with freshly squeezed lemon and let stand another 5 -10 minutes.
3. Garnish with fresh black pepper, shaved cheese, and coarsely copped dill.

To best enjoy, serve immediately.

Please credit responsibly! Photo and recipe by Naftali Stern for theBohmerian.com.