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!