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Chef Robert Reynolds’ Three Salads

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Carrot Salad

  • 6 medium carrots

For the Vinaigrette

  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons oil neutral - see Note above
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
  • freshly ground pepper

Beet Salad

  • 3 beets whole

Celery Root Salad

  • 1 head celery root about 1 pound

For the Mayonnaise

  • ½ lemon juice from
  • salt to taste
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ¾ cup flavorless oil See note above in carrot salad
  • 1 tablespoon chives finely-chopped

Instructions

Carrot Salad

  • Grate 2 cups of new carrots through the fine holes of a box grater.

For the Vinaigrette

  • Put a generous pinch of sea salt into a small bowl.
  • Add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, swirling to dissolve the salt.
  • Add Dijon mustard to taste and using a fork, whisk to incorporate 4 tablespoons of oil.
  • Toss the carrots with chopped parsley.
  • Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Beet Salad

  • Roast 2 to 3 whole, medium-sized beets at 350°F until they become fork tender, about an hour.
  • When they have cooled, peel them.
  • Dice or shred and put into a bowl before tossing with another vinaigrette.

Celery Root Salad

  • Quarter the celery root, peel, then grate through the large holes of a box grater.
  • Bring water to a boil, add half a tablespoon of salt and blanch the celery root for 1 minute.
  • Drain and squeeze gently to dry thoroughly. Leave in a bowl to cool.

For the Mayonnaise

  • Prepare a mayonnaise in a food processor with the juice of half a lemon, a teaspoon of sea salt and one egg yolk.
  • Turn the machine on and slowly pour in ¾ cup of flavorless oil in a steady stream. When half the oil has been added, taste for seasoning. (If the sauce needs more salt, dilute a pinch in a tablespoon of boiling water. The heat helps set the egg and loosens the texture of the mayonnaise.)
  • With the machine running, add the remaining oil in a thin stream to finish the mayonnaise.
  • Toss the blanched celery root with the mayonnaise.
  • Decorate the salad with a tablespoon of finely chopped chives.

Notes

My friend Bart Evans reminded me that a classic Sauce Remoulade for celery root can be achieved by adding a teaspoon each of chopped capers and cornichons along with chives and cayenne to our mayonnaise.