Sisters by the Sea: Shoreline Salad
Based on:
TypeSide dish
Serves4 people
DateAugust 18, 2026
A shoreline of flavors, with sharp citrus and salty accents as warring sunbeds and parasols.
A sharp-sour salad in a long platter like a strip of beach, with a lemon zest 'shoreline', salty anchovy 'sunbeds', and olives as 'parasols'. The clash of fresh and salty flavors echoes the tension over the contested stretch of sand.
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red onion
- 2 lemons (zest and juice)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 100 g pitted green olives
- 8 anchovy fillets
- salt and pepper to taste
- handful flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Slice the fennel thinly, reserve some fronds for garnish.
- Cut the cucumber into half-moons.
- Slice the red onion into thin rings.
- Zest one lemon, juice both lemons.
- Combine fennel, cucumber, and onion in a large bowl.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
- Toss the dressing with the vegetables.
- Arrange the salad in a long platter to resemble a strip of beach.
- Lay anchovy fillets across the salad as 'sunbeds'.
- Stand the olives upright as 'parasols'.
- Garnish with fennel fronds and chopped parsley along one edge as the 'shoreline'.
Serving notes
- Serve in a long platter for the beach effect.
- Ensure anchovies and olives are clearly visible as markers.
- Sprinkle extra lemon zest along one edge for the shoreline.