Celeriac Remoulade with Smoked Salmon

Celeriac remoulade with smoked salmon needs no stove at all. Raw celeriac is cut into fine matchsticks, bound with a mustard dressing, rested briefly, and set beside ribbons of smoked salmon. Nothing here is cooked, so the whole dish comes down to proportions: how much dressing, how much acid, and how finely the celeriac is cut.

What is documented and what is not: celeriac remoulade is a classic, and smoked salmon served with it is a published pairing; I read both. The cut size, the lemon treatment, the chilling time and the storage figure follow published recipes. The exact dressing proportions, the quantities for four and the serving suggestions are my own, and I have not tested them in a test kitchen. One safety note: refrigerated smoked salmon is eaten uncooked here, and foodsafety.gov advises pregnant women not to eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is in a cooked dish.

The Proportions That Hold the Plate Together

Published recipes disagree on how much dressing celeriac wants. Per kilogram of peeled celeriac, a simple version I read uses about 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise, while a richer smoked salmon starter uses mayonnaise and crème fraîche together at roughly 18 tablespoons. I settled between them: for 500 g of celeriac, 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 of crème fraîche, which works out near 12 per kilogram. That is a starting point, not a measured optimum.

• Dressing: enough to coat each matchstick with a thin, even film, not enough to pool at the bottom of the bowl.
• Mustard and lemon: the mustard gives the sharp backbone, and the lemon lifts it. Taste before chilling and again after chilling, and adjust then.
• Salt: go light. The smoked salmon and the capers are both salty, so season the remoulade last.
• Salmon: about 50 g (1 3/4 oz) per person, so the fish accents the celeriac rather than covering it.

Ingredients

Celeriac

• 500 g (1 lb) peeled celeriac, from about 1 medium root (roughly 650 to 700 g before peeling)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml), for the soaking water
• 500 ml (2 cups) cold water

Remoulade Dressing

• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (about 60 g)
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or thick plain yogurt (about 30 g)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
• Black pepper, and salt only if needed

To Serve

• 200 g (7 oz) smoked salmon, sliced
• Lemon wedges and extra dill
• Toasted brioche or other bread, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the soaking water. Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 500 ml of cold water in a large bowl.
2. Peel the celeriac. Cut it into quarters, trim the knobbly root end, and peel away the thick skin until only pale, cream-colored flesh remains.
3. Cut into matchsticks. Slice into thin plates about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick, stack two or three, and cut into 3 mm matchsticks. Drop them into the lemon water as you go to keep them pale.
4. Drain and dry. After a few minutes, drain in a sieve, press out the water, and pat dry on a clean tea towel until no water clings. The dressing sticks better to dry matchsticks.
5. Make the dressing. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, mustard, lemon juice, capers and dill until smooth and evenly pale.
6. Toss in batches. Add the celeriac in two or three batches, mixing after each, until every matchstick is lightly coated. Season with pepper.
7. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The celeriac should soften slightly but still crunch when bitten, and no liquid should pool in the bowl.
8. Taste and adjust. Add a squeeze of lemon, pepper or a pinch of salt only if it needs it.
9. Plate. Mound the remoulade on four plates, drape the smoked salmon beside or over it, and finish with dill and a lemon wedge.

Celeriac Remoulade with Smoked Salmon: How Long Should It Rest?

Chill celeriac remoulade with smoked salmon for about 30 minutes before serving, so the matchsticks soften slightly while keeping a crunch. Add the salmon only at the moment of plating. The remoulade alone can be made a few hours ahead, and one published recipe keeps it up to 4 days in the fridge.

The 30-minute rest comes from a published classic recipe, which chills the dressed celeriac until it “wilts slightly.” Another recipe says the remoulade is best made a few hours before serving. Those two sit together comfortably, so you can choose between 30 minutes and a few hours based on how soft you like the celeriac.

Cutting Celeriac for Bite

The published recipes I read agree on one thing: do not cut or grate it too fine. A grated version warns that very fine celeriac turns to mush, and the classic recipe cuts matchsticks about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. A mandoline gives the most even sticks, but a sharp knife works if you slice slowly.

I prefer coarse matchsticks to a fine grate for the bite, though I have not compared them side by side. Peel generously, since the skin is thick and the root end is knotty.

Where the Balance Slips

• Watery remoulade. The celeriac went into the dressing wet. Drain it in a sieve and pat it dry, as one recipe advises.
• Brown celeriac. It sat uncovered after cutting. Drop it into lemon water straight away; a published recipe says this stops it going brown.
• Mushy texture. The pieces were cut too fine. Keep them about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick.
• Overly salty plate. Salting the dressing on top of salmon and capers. Taste the finished plate, not just the bowl.
• Heavy dressing. Too much mayonnaise hides the celeriac. Start with the amounts given and add a spoonful at a time.

Variations and Serving

• On toast: A published smoked salmon version serves the remoulade and salmon on toasted brioche triangles with dill, capers and lemon wedges.
• Homemade dressing: A classic recipe builds it from an egg yolk, mustard and oil, whisking the oil in slowly. I use store-bought mayonnaise here, so I did not test that route.
• Herbs: Parsley can replace dill, as the classic version uses parsley.
• Other bread: Toasted rye is a natural fit, though I have not tested it.

Smoked Salmon Safety and Storage

Foodsafety.gov says not to eat refrigerated smoked seafood during pregnancy unless it is in a cooked dish that reaches 74°C (165°F). It lists lox and Nova-style among refrigerated smoked seafood, and says canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is fine. This dish uses the salmon uncooked, so it is not suitable for pregnancy with refrigerated smoked salmon.

Store the remoulade and the salmon separately in the refrigerator. One recipe keeps plain celeriac remoulade up to 4 days in an airtight container and does not recommend freezing it. For the salmon, follow the use-by date on the package. I would serve a plated portion immediately.

Nutrition (Estimate)

These are rough estimates for one serving without bread, not lab-tested values. I did not calculate them from a nutrition database, and they vary with the brand of mayonnaise and the type of salmon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to cook the celeriac?

No. The published recipes I read use it raw. One of them does not mention blanching at all.

Can I grate it instead of cutting matchsticks?

Yes, coarsely. A grated recipe I read says not to grate it too fine, so keep some bite. A food processor works if you pulse briefly.

Can I use hot-smoked salmon?

Probably, flaked over the remoulade. I have not tested it, and the safety note above refers to refrigerated smoked seafood, so check the label for the type you buy.

Keep the celeriac dry, the cuts coarse and the dressing light, and the plate takes care of itself: crisp, sharp and creamy beside the soft salmon.