Salade d'Oranges aux Olives (Orange Salad with Olives)

Reproduced with kind permission of Claudia Roden from ‘The Book of Jewish Food’ from Viking press.

Serves 6

This famous Moroccan salad is best made with slightly sour or bitter oranges – though sweet ones will do – and with the rare Argan oil. Argan oil, which the Jews of Essaouira traditionally use, gives the oranges a distinctive taste.

Ingredients

• 4 oranges
• juice of 1 lemon or 2-3 tablespoons
• 3 tablespoons Argan oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed in a press or finely
• chopped salt
• a handful of black olives I teaspoon cumin (optional) I teaspoon paprika pinch of cayenne or chilli powder (optional)

Preparation

Peel the oranges, removing the pith. Cut them into slices and then into pieces. Dress with a mixture of lemon juice, oil, garlic and salt and add the olives. Serve sprinkled with cumin (if using), paprika and cayenne pepper.