A crunchy yet creamy salad of celeriac remoulade, a tasty side dish for fish and shellfish, cold meats, ham or peppery greens.
Let’s continue with the stinky produce, yes?
Celeriac is that weird, knobbly vegetable that looks like it should be part of a magician’s special stash of mysterious ingredients.
It also has a very pungent smell, and although many say it tastes like celery, I don’t agree, seeing as I like celeriac and loath celery. Or perhaps the remoulade is just masking the revolting celery undertones. We’ll never know…
Chop off the roots and peel away the gnarly skin, and you’re left with a white, firm vegetable that’s crunchy and slightly nutty when raw, and soft and creamy when cooked.
Late season celeriac is the perfect time to use the root vegetable raw, and celeriac remoulade is a great side for those in-between seasons.
What is Celeriac?
A root vegetable also known as celery root, celeriac is actually a cultivated type of celery.
It’s also very versatile. Once the outer skin and roots have been discarded, celeriac is edible both in its raw form – think slaws and salads – and cooked – think whole-roasted, mashed, stewed.
When choosing a celeriac, select one that feels heavy for its size, as the vegetable starts to hollow out in the middle as it begins to go bad. Celeriac flesh oxidises very quickly, so once peeled and cut, submerge it in lemon water to stop it from discolouring too quickly.
What is Remoulade?
Remoulade is a cold, mayonnaise-based sauce that can be found in many cuisines, most typically in French, Louisiana Creole and Scandinavian dishes, and can be flavoured with many different condiments, from mustard to ketchup, depending on the region.
It’s primarily used as a dipping sauce for meats, fish and shellfish, and seafood-based fritters.
French remoulade is typically made by combining mayonnaise with mustard and herbs, is served as a condiment to red meat, fish and shellfish, but is also the dressing used to make celeriac remoulade. Variations to the base sauce include: egg yolk, garlic, sugar, gherkins or capers, dill.
What to Serve Celeriac Remoulade with?
Jump to the recipe below to see how I serve celeriac remoulade with pan-fried fish and green beans. Another favourite way is with baked salmon and broccolini. The remoulade sauce holds up well with any fibrous veggies.
But you can equally serve it as a side or salad to steak or ham, alongside a cold meat or shellfish platter, smoked salmon, or even with toast and some peppery greens, like rocket or watercress.
Celeriac Remoulade with Fish and Green Beans
Ingredients
For the Celeriac Remoulade
- 450 g celeriac
- Half a lemon, juiced and rind reserved
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons crème fraiche
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Pan-Fried Fish and Green Beans
- ½ lemon, a few thin slices reserved
- 200 g green beans, topped and tailed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large fillet of firm white fish, skin on, or 2 smaller fillets
- 50 g butter, cubed
- A small handful of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- For the celeriac remoulade: Chop off and discard the root system and peel the skin off the celeriac using a sharp knife and slicing away from yourself. Once the skin has been removed, rub the lemon rind and pulp all over the celeriac to help stop it from discolouring.450 g celeriac, Half a lemon
- Shred the celeriac, either using a mandolin, julienne peeler or a box grater, taking care to keep the shred on the thinner side, and toss the shredded celeriac in the lemon juice immediately and set aside.
- In small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, crème fraiche and parsley, and season with salt and pepper to create the remoulade sauce.4 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons crème fraiche, 2 tablespoons parsley, Salt and pepper to taste
- Adding a tablespoon at a time, stir the remoulade into the celeriac shreds until the dressing is coating and clinging to the celeriac, but not drowning it – think of it more like a dressing as opposed to a soup (see notes).
- Set aside for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to develop and meld.
- For the fish and green beans: When the celeriac remoulade has around 10 more minutes to sit before serving, prepare a bowl of ice water and a few lemon slices, and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring liberally salted water to a boil.½ lemon
- Blanch the green beans until they are tender-crisp, around 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately drain and shock in the iced water to stop them cooking any further. Drain, season with salt and set aside.200 g green beans, Salt and pepper to taste
- For the fish, heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Pat the fish fillet(s) dry with a paper towel on both sides, and when the oil is hot, add the fillet skin-side down. Season with salt and pepper. If the fillet starts to curly, gently press it down using a spatula or a slotted fish turner.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large fillet of firm white fish, Salt and pepper to taste
- After 3 minutes, or when the skin is crisp and golden, flip the fillet and season the other side. Add the butter, basting the fillet as the butter browns, for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the fillet is just cooked through, or cooked to your liking.50 g butter
- Take the pan off the heat and squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the fish and butter to create a thin sauce. Add the parsley and right in the pan, flake the fillet apart and toss to coat in the butter, lemon and herbs.A small handful of parsley
- Serve warm over the celeriac remoulade and a side of green beans.
2 Comments
This looks and sounds very well balanced, and I like your use of less-known ingredients. This is my first visit to your website, it is so beautiful and informative, thank you!
Thanks for saying so! Celeriac is a wonderful vegetable, try it out and let me know what you think.