Saturday, May 2, 2015

Celery Root Buttermilk Rampoulade


Seasonal eating in the North Country in spring often involves a collaboration between the root cellar and the first wild greens.  So it was with this version of celery root remoulade spiked with pungent chopped ramps.


Nothing fancy, a simple roster of ingredients.  While my standard celeri remoulade uses sour cream, the buttermilk employed in this version brings a tangy lightness--and combined with the onion-garlic-chive flavors of the ramps, it creates a sort of ranch dressing feel, but subtle, even elegant.





Celery root requires a lot of cleaning up to be presentable.


Using the medium-fine side of a Microplane box grater produces delicate celery root snow--neige de celeri, bien sur!



Chop the ramps fine, including a little bit of the green.




Mix it all up.  A squeeze of lemon juice perks it up and brings all the flavors together.  It's good when made at least a few hours ahead, so the flavors blend.





Celeri buttermilk rampoulade

serves 2 to 3 

4 ounces trimmed celery root
2 good pinches salt
6 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
A squeeze of lemon juice
3 ramps, white, red and a bit of the green, finely chopped

Grate the celery root fairly small--the medium-fine side of a Microplane box grater is ideal.  Add all the other ingredients and mix well.  Taste for salt.  Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving; it can be made a day ahead, too.

This salad is our standby with steak tartare, of late.  It also accompanies smoked fish nicely, and would go well with anything off the grill.








3 comments:

  1. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Celeriac R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Uh, whah...? Is that some crude transliteration from old Icelandic?

    ReplyDelete