Golden beaches, thriving city landscapes, Hollywood magic and desert adventures.
There's plenty of reasons to visit America's sunshine state. And food is one of them. From the street food and celebrity-studded restaurants in L.A. to the fresh seafood in San Francisco and the Mexican inspired cuisines close to the border, California is a foodie's delight.
While international border restrictions mean a west coast adventure is all just Californian dreaming at this stage, you can bring some of its flavours into your kitchen thanks to new book Eat California by Vivian Lui.
Citrus Salad
The anticipation for the beautiful Californian citrus builds when the fragrant blossoms appear in the months leading up to fruiting season, when the state erupts with an abundance of citrus. This recipe transforms the fruit into a salad of many flavours.
Serves 4, Prep 15 mins, Cook none
Ingredients
- 1 small pomelo
- 1 pink grapefruit
- 2 navel, cara cara or blood oranges
- 1 celery stalk, plus inner leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced crossways
- 8 kumquats, finely sliced crossways
- 60 g pistachios, shelled and chopped
- Sea salt flakes
Method
Peel the thick skin off the pomelo, then remove enough of the outer white pith to be able to separate the pomelo into individual segments.
Run a small paring knife along the flat side of a segment to release the inner fruit from the membrane. Repeat with the remaining segments.
Slice the top and bottom off the grapefruit to expose the fruit. Use a paring knife to remove the skin and pith following the curve of the fruit.
Slice crossways to make rounds. Reserve the accumulated juices in a bowl and set aside. Repeat with the oranges.
Shave the celery with a peeler or mandolin. Cut the ribbons down into bite-sized pieces. Place the celery and leaves in the bowl with the reserved juices. Drizzle with a little olive oil and lightly toss.
To serve, arrange all the mixed citrus on a platter or individual plates. Top with the dressed celery, pistachios and a light sprinkling of salt.
Recipe extracted from Eat California by Vivian Lui, published by Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99. Photography (c) Con Poulos, Food stylist (c) Vivian Lui.