Orange and Date Salad

This Moroccan salad has a lot of success every time I serve it. It is (almost) ridiculous to prepare, and very refreshing! The light acidity of the oranges is balanced by the sweetness of the dates, and the toasted almonds give it a very delicate and unexpected crunch. You can prepare the orange segments a day ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Orange and Date Salad

adapted from The Food of Morocco. A journey for food lovers
 serves 6

Ingredients
 6 sweet oranges
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
8 fresh dates, pitted and thinly sliced lengthways
90 g (¾ cup) slivered almonds, lightly toasted
small mint leaves to serve

Directions
 Scale and prep all the ingredients.
You will need a large bowl and one big flat serving dish.

With a sharp knife, chop off the tops and bases of the oranges. Place the orange steadily on the board and cut the peel off, making sure to remove all traces of pith and cutting through the outer membranes to expose the flesh. Hold the orange over a bowl to catch any juices while doing the next step. Segment the oranges by cutting between the visible membranes. Remove the seeds and place the segments in the bowl. Squeeze the remains of the membranes (and a little bit of oranges left) over the bowl to extract all the juice. Repeat with the 5 remaining oranges.

Add the orange blossom water and gently mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
Place the orange segments and the juice on a large flat dish. Scatter the dates, then the almonds over the top. Make sure to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the mint leaves over the top and serve.