Ghillie says: “This attractive, refreshing salad can be served as an accompaniment to spicy meat or poultry dishes, and it also makes a delicious addition to any mezze spread. There are different versions of this salad throughout the Levant region. Some include slices of fresh lemon or lime, while others add onions and black olives instead of dates and preserved lemon, but all are sweet, juicy and slightly salty.”

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

4 ripe, sweet oranges
175g moist dried dates, stoned/pitted
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
The peel of 1 preserved lemon, finely sliced
2-3 tablespoons orange blossom water
A small bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Peel the oranges, removing as much of the pith as possible. Place the oranges on a plate to catch the juice and finely slice them into circles, removing any pips. Tip the orange slices into a bowl with the juice, or arrange them in a shallow dish.

Finely slice the dates, lengthways, and scatter them over the oranges. Scatter the sliced chilli and preserved lemon over the top and splash the orange blossom water over the salad. Leave the flavours to mingle for at least 10 minutes, garnish with the coriander and toss very gently just before serving.

The Levantine Table by Ghillie Basan (£25, Ryland Peters & Small) is out now

The Levantine Table: 3 simple salads to make when you can’t face another Caesar