




Celery Root Salad
1 celery root the size of an apple
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
Mustard Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon boiling water
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 to 6 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
I peeled the celery root with a potato peeler and then cut it into julienne, about the size of wooden kitchen matches and put it into a bowl. To soften and bleach the celery root, I added the salt and two tablespoons of cider vinegar and stirred until the every piece was coated with the vinegar/salt mixture and then set it aside while I made the mustard sauce.
I used a fork to combine the mustard and boiling water. When it was smooth, I beat in the oil, drop by drop, until the sauce was the consistency of mayonnaise. Then, I stirred in the vinegar, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper.
After the celery root had steeped in the vinegar/salt mixture for half an hour, I rinsed it well in cold water and dried it with a paper towel. I combined the celery root with enough of the dressing to coat it and put each serving on top of a few rinsed and dried arugula leaves.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled if you are feeding a crowd. Extra mustard sauce, stored in a jar in the fridge, will last a couple of weeks. Instead of steeping it in vinegar and salt, celery root can be softened by dropping it into boiling water for a minute, and then cooling it shocking it in ice water and drying it before dressing it. I used cider vinegar with the salt but lemon or lime juice will also work. This salad improves when refrigerated for a few hours or even over night. Celery root salads will wait for your guests. When I served it as a first course, at formal dinner parties, I put it on the table an hour before our guests arrived.
Celery Root Salad |
- 1 celery root the size of an apple, peeled and cut into julienne
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
- Mustard Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon boiling water
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 4 to 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Arugula or lettuce for garnish
- Combine celery root with salt and cider vinegar to soften and bleach it.
- Set it aside to steep for 30 minutes.
- Combine mustard and boiling water until smooth.
- Beat in oil, drop by drop, until sauce is the consistency of mayonnaise. Stir in vinegar, salt and black pepper to taste.
- Rinse celery root cold water and dry it with a paper towel.
- Combined it with enough dressing to coat.
- Put each serving on top of rinsed and dried arugula or lettuce.