Shredded Love

In Creole cuisine, Remoulade is the pride of the Po’Boy: a veritable catch-all sauce of ketchup, mayo, mustard, Louisiana Mirepoix, and spices. In France, the sauce is a bit more refined, and its classic accompaniment is celery root. The basic formula for a remoulade in both the motherland and southland milieu is: mayo, something pickled, herbs, and spices. Our recipe is a vegan take on the French version and we used it as a platform for a classic bistro salad of celeriac. Not familiar with this brute of a root? Don’t be surprised when you go from grocer to grocer praying you can avoid a run to Whole Foods for these glorious dirt bombs. You will fall in love with this dish.
Alex’s Boss Nicole used to eat a similar treat as a child in the Loire Valley. When her Père whipped up a batch he’d let it sit for a day before serving. If you’ve got the time and savoir faire you should do the same and skip the blanching of the root for a more authentic version.

Vegan Celery Root Remoulade

1 large celeriac (about 2 lbs)
3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 minced shallots
1 tbs. diced tarragon
1 tbs. diced parsley
2 tbs. chopped capers
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs. Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. diced chives
Set a large pot of water to boil. With a pairing knife skin the root completely. Depending on the equipment you’ve got you have two options: mandolin or cheese grater. If you have a mandolin, slice the root lengthwise into thin sheets, and then slice into thin matchsticks. No mando? Just shred the root on the larges eyelet set of a cheese grater. Now blanch the shredded or sliced celeriac very quickly: throw it in the water, count to ten whilst stirring and then remove. Rinse under cold water until cool and dry with towels of your choice.
Combine every other ingredient in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Toss the celeriac with the remoulade sauce and garnish with freshly ground black pepper, and chives. Serve on top of lightly cooked asparagus or your favorite veggie burger.
Beverage: Foret Organic Ale
Soundtrack: Stereolab’s “Dots and Loops”