Weekly recipe #97: Celeriac Remoulade

By Susan Pagani

This past weekend, we ate Sunday dinner with some friends in St. Paul. They gave us Italian sausage in a rich chile sauce served over polenta -- a warm, satisfying dish that was so spicy it gave us the hick-ups. Happily, it came with a heap of creamy, mouth-cooling celeriac remoulade.

I had never eaten shredded celeriac: In the remoulade, it was like a savory cole slaw, with a satisfying crunch and not so much mayo or fussy flavors that it overwhelmed the root's earthy, celery goodness.

Here is a recipe, adapted from one that appeared in the New York Times. I have added almonds because, at our dinner, some snuck in from a neighboring salad and all the ingredients seemed to get along. I suspect this recipe would work with kohlrabi, too.

Celeriac Remoulade
(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

1 big or 2 small celeriacs, trimmed and julienned
1 egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, or more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sliced almonds, plus some for garnish

PREPARATION

1.Trim and julienne the celeriac. I suggest the grating disk of the food processor to julienne, but you could use a box grater or mandolin. Sprinkle with salt and set aside in a serving bowl.
2.To make the mayonnaise, put the egg, mustard, salt, pepper and acid in a food processor. While the machine is running, add the oils in a slow, steady stream. You can also make the mayonnaise by hand: Put the egg, mustard, salt, pepper and acid in a medium bowl. Beat together with a wire whisk or a fork, adding the oils in a slow, steady stream until it is incorpated, about 5 minutes.
4.Taste the mayo, adjust the seasoning and then combine it with the julienned celeriac. You will not use all of the mayonnaise.
5. Fold in almonds and garnish with a little more. Enjoy!

Weekly Recipe #96: Noodles with Sausage and Fried Sage

By Susan Pagani

Long ago, when I lived in Oakland, Calif., there was a restaurant called Oliveto's in my neighborhood. It sat on the corner adjacent my train stop and so became a convenient after-work haunt. My favorite dish there was a simple combination of handmade gnocchi in a sauce of fried sage leaves and brown butter -- wonderfully comforting at the end of a long winter's workday.

This recipe was inspired by that deliciousness and by a recipe from food writer Moira Hodgson. She likes cream in it, but I prefer it with the sage butter alone. In fact, the sausage could go! Either way, this dish comes together in about the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta, and that, too, is comforting at the end of the day.

Noodles with Sausage and Fried Sage

(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound fettuccine
4 mild Italian sausages
About 24 sage leaves
4 to 5 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan

PREPARATION

1. Bring four quarts of water to a boil for the fettuccine and cook it per instructions, until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, simmer the sausages in water to cover for 10 minutes. When they are done, finish them in a little oil, cooking until they are nicely brown, and then setting aside.

2. Fry the sage leaves in the butter in a skillet until they are crisp. Drain them on paper towels, leaving the butter in the skillet.

3. Add the garlic to the butter, so that it gets golden but not burned. 

4. Drain the pasta and put it in a heated serving bowl. Chop the sausage into bite size pieces and put it on top of the pasta, and then toss the whole with butter sauce and sprinkle with sage leaves, salt and pepper. (Note: You want enough butter to coat the pasta, but not so much that it becomes an oily mess.)

 Parmesan can be added at the table. Enjoy!