Brussels sprout, fennel and clementine salad and the madding crowd of Buenos Aires

I’ve just spoken to a friend who recently stepped off a Russian exploration boat that had transported him from Ushuaia to the southernmost town in the world: Puerto Williams, Chile. From Puerto Williams he intends to ‘hitchhike’ to Antarctica for a couple of weeks — watch this space! Travelling from Uruguay through Buenos Aires on the day that the Argentinian team returned with their cup, having pipped the French team to the post, he said that it was somewhat intimidating to be the only French person amid four million explosively victorious Argentinian patriots. Apparently he kept his mouth firmly, and uncharacteristically, shut throughout, and he doesn’t scare easily (see above!)

In this house, it was France/England match that was contentious; as Léo and I have dual nationality, Luc said we couldn’t lose, which gave us an unfair advantage in potential game satisfaction. As I’ve mentioned before, Luc is very invested in the footie, and, as such, it’s not something he takes lightly. In the end, it was agreed that we could watch with him as long as we remained silent and emotionless, much like our friend in Buenos Aires. Java watched with us, lying between me and Léo, snoring loudly, waking only to bark at the French goals.

Wishing everybody a very happy new year! Here’s to hoping that 2023 brings peace and positivity.

Recipe for Brussels sprout, fennel and clementine salad (serves 4)

Salad:

• 50g Brussels sprouts, chopped finely
• 1 fennel, chopped
• 3 clementines, peeled and segmented
• 5 dried figs, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
• 3 shallots, peeled and chopped

Dressing:

• 100ml plain yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder

Place the sprouts, fennel, clementines, figs, carrots and shallots in a salad bowl. Mix the yoghurt and mustard together, then gradually add the vinegar little by little, mixing well to obtain a homogenous creamy texture. Add the honey, garlic and seasoning, mixing all the time to prevent the dressing from separating. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly.