The Best Fall Slaw!

There are perks to living near a city with several of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs.  Outside of the obviously great food at their restaurants, one of them writes a witty food column for our Sunday newspaper's food section.  Even though Sandy D'Amato no longer lives in Milwaukee and has sold his restaurant Sanford to his Chef de Cuisine (and recent James Beard Award winner as well), he still writes his weekly column. More than a few times, he shares a recipe that I simply have to be make right away. 

Such was the case for this amazing autumnal slaw. Celeriac, apples, celery, red onion and dates tossed with a cardamom dressing.  Doesn't that sound great? 

If you're not familiar with celeriac (also called celery root) and wouldn't know what it looked like if one was staring you in the face, it reminds me of a small ogre's head. Yup. Certainly not the beauty queen of the produce aisle, but, peeled of it's outer knobby and warty-looking brown exterior, it's a wonderful, mild vegetable. I've used it cooked and mashed in lieu of potatoes (delicious and low starch) and also in soups, but this was the first time I've used it raw. Not related to celery at all, celeriac is a relative of fennel, carrots, parsley and parsnips. 

My husband started 'tasting' the slaw before our fish was grilled that evening and before the end of dinner the entire bowl (more than you see here) was gone. It won high praise from my husband and we both gave it two thumbs up. It is the best fall slaw!

The Best Fall Slaw

Adapted from Chef Sanford d'Amato
Printable Recipe

1 pound celery root (celeriac)
½ red onion
2 crisp apples (such as Gala or Fuji)
2 ribs celery, cleaned and cut on the bias ¼ inch thick
6 to 8 pitted dates, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1-¼ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, or mint, chopped

Lemon cardamom dressing:

Zest of ½ lemon
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons honey (my addition)

To prepare the lemon cardamom dressing, combine the lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Reduce to 1 tablespoon liquid. Cool to room temperature, then add the remaining dressing ingredients and blend well.

Peel the celery root to yield about 10 ounces. Cut into ¼-inch slices, then cut the slices into thin, julienne strips and cut those in half. Place in a large bowl.

Peel and core the onion, then slice very thin. Rinse under hot water, then in cold, and drain. Add to celery root in bowl.

Cut the apples in half, core, and cut into quarters.  Cut each quarter into ¼-inch-thick slices from stem to bottom. Add to bowl.

Add sliced celery, dates, salt, pepper and parsley or mint. Mix in reserved dressing. Toss well, cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Sauteed Grouper with Saffron Celery Root Puree and Tomato Porcini Relish

Sanford (Sandy) d'Amato is a James Beard award-winning local chef who used to write a wonderful, humorous column for our newspaper's food section every Sunday. He has since retired and moved to Connecticut.  However, his restaurant is called Sanford is still open and his chef de cuisine is now the owner and a James Beard award winner also.

Last week's recipe really caught my eye! I'm a big fan of pureed celery root and his recipe called for the addition of saffron and star anise which sounded delicious. (If you among the uninitiated or can't quite wrap yourself around pure celery root puree, try a combination of half celery root and half potato.) 

The relish/sauce sounded wonderful also with porcini mushrooms and tomatoes.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find the called-for striped bass in the fish counter at my store but was able to find some beautiful grouper fillets which I hoped would be a good substitute. I was really excited for all the flavors to come together for this meal!

I was not disappointed!  It was the best celery root puree recipe I've tried and the tomato-mushroom relish was rich and flavorful with the fish.  A side of sauteed haricot verts with shallots was a perfect with it. I think this relish would also taste wonderful with salmon.

Sauteed Grouper with Saffron Celery Root Puree and Tomato Porcini Relish

Adapted from a recipe from Sandy d'Amato, Chef, Restaurant Owner and James Beard Award Winner
Printable Recipe

Makes 2 servings

1 celery root (about 1 pound), peeled to yield 12 to 14 ounces
Tomato porcini essence (see recipe)
4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
1 cup whole milk
½ bay leaf
1 star anise
¼ teaspoon loose-pack saffron
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 grouper or skinless striped bass fillets (7-8 ounces each and about 1 inch thick)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instant-blend flour (such as Wondra) to dust bass fillets

Cut one-third of the celery root into small dice and reserve to use when making tomato porcini. Cut remaining two-thirds into large dice.

Make tomato porcini essence. Set aside.

To make puree: In a small saucepan, place large dice of celery root, 1 tablespoon olive oil, the milk, bay leaf, anise, saffron, thyme, the ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer and let simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until celery root is tender. Remove thyme sprig, bay leaf and anise and discard. Puree mixture in a food processor until fine and smooth; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Reserve warm.

Place a sauté pan large enough to hold both bass fillets over medium-high heat. Season fillets with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour, patting off excess. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to pan. When oil is hot, sauté fillets about 3 minutes per side until fish is just cooked.

To serve: Divide reserved puree between two large plates or bowls, place fish on puree, and place tomato porcini essence on and around the fish.

Tomato porcini essence:

½ ounce dried sliced porcini mushrooms
1 cup chicken stock
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
1 small shallot, diced fine (divided)
½ cup dry white wine
Reserved small dice celery root from above
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
12 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used regular tomatoes cut into 1/2 pieces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut mushrooms into small pieces. Place mushrooms in stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and remove mushrooms, gently shaking so as to leave any dirt or sand in stock. Strain stock slowly through four layers of cheesecloth to make sure any debris is left behind. Set mushrooms and stock aside.

Place a small saucepot over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil, then add half the shallots and sauté 30 seconds. Add reserved mushrooms and sauté 1 minute. Add wine and cook until reduced to dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Add strained chicken stock and cook until reduced to half, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add another 1 teaspoon oil and, when hot, add reserved celery root. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté 4 minutes or until light golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to same pan and, when hot, add remaining shallots and the garlic and sauté 5 seconds. Add tomatoes and simmer until mixture is dry and just starting to stick to pan, about 2 minutes. Add reserved celery root and porcini mixtures to pan. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Seared Sea Scallops with Celery Root Puree, Sauce Verte and Hazelnuts~

My husband is always supportive of my efforts in the kitchen but if he doesn't like something he will usually remain quiet.  When I hear 'this is absolutely fantastic' then I know I've hit a culinary home run!

This was a 'this is absolutely fantastic' comment dinner!  I knew I wanted to make scallops for our dinner and found the recipes in "Stir" by Barbara Lynch, one of my favorite new cookbook purchases. I was torn between the scallops on a bed of celery root puree and the scallops with sauce verte so I made both!  The combination was 'absolutely fantastic'. 

Celery root puree (aka celeriac) is a much healthier alternative to mashed potatoes and has a delicious flavor.  The fresh herb 'sauce verte' is flavored with garlic, anchovy paste and capers to give the dish a bright burst of flavor and the toasted, chopped hazelnuts are a good source of protein and good Omega-3.

I seared the scallops on the stove using the flat side of my cast iron griddle that I also use for searing fish on the grill outdoors.  Dry scallops are important to get a good sear and they can't be crowded or they will steam and not sear.

If you enjoy scallops, I hope you give this 'absolutely fantastic' dish a try!

Seared Sea Scallops with Celery Root Puree, Sauce Verte and Hazelnuts

Inspired by two recipes in Stir by Barbara Lynch
Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of fresh chives

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, stems removed
4 sprigs of fresh tarragon, stems removed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (sold in a tube in the canned seafood section of your store)
1 tablespoon capers, well rinsed
1 small shallot, chopped

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary
1/2 pound celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1-1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 pound (about 12) sea scallops, drained and dried very well with paper toweling. Removing as much moisture as possible from the scallops is essential for a good 'sear'.

For the sauce:

Fill a small saucepan 3/4 full of water, add some salt and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Add the chives, parsley and tarragon to the boiling water and allow to blanch for about 10 seconds. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water to stop the cooking. Remove the herbs from the ice water and gently squeeze out excess moisture. Coarsely chop the herbs and place in a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, anchovy paste, capers, 1 teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of pepper and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until smooth. If too thick, add a little more oil. The sauce verte can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered, and rewarmed before serving.

For the celery root puree:

Place celery root pieces and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook until the celery root is fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer the celery root and milk to the bowl of a food processor. Add the 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and puree. This can be prepared in the morning. chill covered, and rewarmed in the microwave before serving.

To toast the hazelnuts:

Heat the oven to 350F spread the nuts out on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

For the scallops:

To sear the scallops, heat the remaining olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the scallops in batches, leaving space between them so they sear and don't steam. You could also use a stove-top griddle for this. Allow them to cook, without turning, until very browned and crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Turn them over gently and sear another 1-3 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops.

Place 1/4 of the celery root puree on each of four serving plates. Divide scallops between four plates and season with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the sauce verte over and around each serving. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts on and around the scallops and serve.