- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds, coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (1 1/4-lb) fennel bulb (sometimes called anise; preferably with fronds), quartered lengthwise
- 2 pears
- 1 3/4 lb radicchio (2 medium heads), thinly sliced
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large bowl until combined well.
- Tear enough fennel fronds, if using, into small sprigs to measure 1/2 cup. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and discard stalks. Cut out and discard core of bulb, then cut bulb lengthwise into thin strips. Peel and core pears, then cut into 3-inch-long matchsticks. Add fennel strips and fronds to dressing along with pears and radicchio and toss well.