Apple and Fennel Salad with Candied Pecans

This robust salad is modeled on one from Alon Shaya's cookbook, “Shaya.” We prefer to make our own candied pecans because they taste better than store-bought; they can be made a day to two in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you don't have or can't find Aleppo pepper, substitute ½ teaspoon sweet paprika mixed with ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper for the spiced nuts, then sprinkle the finished salad with an additional pinch or two of sweet paprika. To season the dressing, Shaya uses pink peppercorns, which have a subtle pepperiness and sweet, floral flavor that complement the other ingredients. If you can't them, we found that 1 tablespoon fennel seed, lightly crushed, works nicely instead