Test Kitchen: Apple and Celery Root Salad

An alternative to the usual lettuce, with walnuts, Roquefort, and fresh herbs

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All right, I’ll admit exhilaration at stumping the Whole Foods employee. “But what is it?” she asked at the cash register, hesitating to turn the grotesque bulb over. “What do you do with it?”

It was celery root (best defined as “the root of celery”), and I had long-held plans to fulfill. On my first encounter with celery root in a recipe—to be whipped and served alongside a hefty steak—I caved too quickly,  picking up a turnip instead. Similar in texture and color on the interior, I told myself the substitute was no great sacrifice.

Other cooks wield hyperbole more happily than I, so while celery root isn’t The One Ingredient You Need in Your Life or a surefire route to Shedding Those Ten Pounds, I don’t like giving up on an ingredient list too often. I enjoy the hunt.

Now having trapped my prey, here’s what I’ve learned about celery root. It tastes like celery, with the crispness of an apple. It can be enjoyed quasi-raw, grated or sliced and tossed into a salad; but I’m aiming to boil then purée it next. As a root vegetable, it can be approached from many angles. And it keeps in the fridge for a long time.

You can follow the approach detailed below in a recipe from Chef Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery that appeared in our February 2009 issue: julienned with apple slices and tossed with Roquefort, toasted walnuts, and a white wine Dijon vinaigrette. Or you can let it keep for a bit while you agonize over the Whole Foods cashier’s second question, a different emphasis applied: What do you do with it?

Apple and Celery Root Salad with walnuts, Roquefort, and fresh herbs

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the salad:

1/2 oz. celery root, peeled and julienned

1/2 Gala apple, julienned

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chiffonade

1/2 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

1/2 tbsp. fresh chives, snipped

1 oz. Roquefort cheese

2 oz. walnuts, toasted

white wine vinaigrette  (see recipe below)

salt

pepper

For the white wine vinaigrette:

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1+1/2 cups vegetable oil

Method:

For vinaigrette: Combine the 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar with 1/4 cup of Dijon, then slowly whisk in 1 + 1/2 cups of vegetable oil.

For salad: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently. Season to taste, then plate.