Fennel and citrus salad is one of Sicily’s greatest exports, to the point that it has reached cliché status. But it’s also really good. It’s a fun way to contrast a lot of winter citrus, and it pairs extraordinarily well with classic Sicilian mains. I prefer to omit the shaved fennel entirely. Fennel is too often watery, diluting the natural acidity of the citrus. All this salad needs is a hint of saltiness from the olives and pistachios, which enhances the citrus flavors

Serve alongside braciole alla messinese (see page 138) as an acidic counter-point to their cheesy filling or with breaded dishes like sarde a beccafico (see page 109) and cotoletta alla palermitana (see page 146).