Celeriac, Celery Root

Also Knob Celery and Turnip-Rooted Celery

If you have ever been to a French bistro, chances are good you began your prix fixe supper with a chewy, vervy salad/appetizer of julienned or shredded celeriac dressed with a sharp mustard mayonnaise—the ubiquitous céleri (or céleri-rave) rémoulade. Chances are also good that it was delicious, for it is a simple dish that accentuates the herbaceous pungency and hardy texture of the root—and it is difficult to prepare badly. But there is more to celery root than rémoulade (although that may be its finest hour), as purées, soups, braises, fritters, stuffings, and salads of Scandinavia, France, Russia, Germany, Holland, and Hungary demonstrate.