Recipe: Celeriac Rémoulade Salad

A fresher version of traditional rémoulade, showcasing this raw wintry vegetable in a summery-feeling side dish. The addition of apple and lettuce, alongside a dressing lifted by yoghurt and sharp acids, turns it into a salad / slaw hybrid that is glorious served with good toast and oily fish.

The quickest way to matchstick the celeriac is to push it through a slicing attachment on a food processor, then stack a few slices at a time and cut them into thin sticks. If that seems like too much hassle, you could coarsely grate it. Once prepared, mix the celeriac with the dressing quickly to keep it from discolouring.

If you’re not sure where to start with a celeriac, check out the tips beneath the method for how to prep it up.

Serves 6 – 8, depending on what else it’s served with.

Recipe by Iona Ralph

Ingredients
¼ celeriac, sliced into little matchsticks
1 sweet and crisp apple, sliced into little matchsticks
½ a crisp lettuce, thinly sliced, e.g. Chinese lettuce, romaine, iceberg 

Dressing
1 tsp French mustard
1 tsp honey
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoon natural yoghurt
Juice ½ lemon or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt and black pepper

Method

1.      Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

2.      In a large bowl, add the celeriac, apple, and Chinese lettuce and then some of the dressing and mix till it is thinly coated.  Add more dressing if desired.

3.      This is tasty on its own or a good side for meats.

Prepping Celeriac

At first sight the celeriac can look an intimidating vegetable, all gnarled and fibrous, but it’s really a simple matter of getting rid of that tough exterior to use the firm, snowy root inside.

Give it a good scrub, then I like to have at it with a potato peeler, getting rid of the outer layer of skin until you have an almost smooth white surface. There will probably be some tangles left at the root end, so just cut those off with a kitchen knife and you’re good to go: cut into chunks to boil for mash or soup; into matchsticks or grated for a creamy remoulade; into slices for a tart or dauphinoise or fingers to roast.