Celery Root Tastes Better Than It Looks Celeriac Gives Dish Freshness

Celeriac - perhaps better known as celery root is the ugly duckling of the produce counter.

It’s the size of a grapefruit and the color of an Idaho potato, with skin to match. As do all roots, it has few tentacles.

Celeriac can be served raw or cooked. It can be used along with carrots and potatoes in soups and stews. It can be simmered until very tender and pureed with butter and cream.

Leave it to the French to turn this mysterious knob into a swan (or prince, if you prefer) of a vegetable. It is the base for their classic salad, celery root remoulade. The vegetable is pared and cut into thin strips and mixed with a dressing of mayonnaise, mustard and tarragon. The contrast of the crisp celeriac and creamy dressing is marvelous, making for a rich and delicious dish.

The French serve this as a salad course, but with the addition of shrimp it becomes an elegant and flavorful entree.

During this time of the year when so few salad ingredients are available, celery root is in good supply. It may not be at its best quality, however. Give the root a squeeze; if it is not completely firm, avoid it. Soft celery root is tough and chewy, not crunchy. If it has any mold or bruises, don’t buy it.

Plan to use celeriac within a week of purchase. If it is going to stand for any length of time after peeling but before it is mixed with dressing, it can turn an unappetizing brown. To prevent this, place the celeriac strips in a bowl of water mixed with the juice of half a lemon; it can stand up to an hour. Be sure to pat the celeriac completely dry before using.

Shrimp and Celery Root Salad

1/2 pound raw shrimp, in the shell

1 bay leaf

1 small celery root

2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1-1/2 teaspoons small capers

1/2 teaspoon crushed, dried tarragon

1/4 cup mayonnaise (reduced-fat is fine)

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

Freshly ground white pepper

Lettuce leaves

Combine shrimp and bay leaf in small pan. Add water to cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until shrimp are pink and firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cool, peel and set aside.

Peel celery root. Dice into 1/2-inch-thick cubes to yield about 1-1/2 cups. Add mustard, lemon juice, capers, tarragon, mayonnaise and paprika and stir well. Add shallot and bell pepper. Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces and add to mixture. Season to taste with pepper. Stir gently but well.

Arrange lettuce leaves on 2 salad plates. Top each with half the shrimp mixture.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, using reduced-fat mayonnaise: 196 calories, 7 grams fat (32 percent fat calories), 17 grams carbohydrate, 17 grams protein, 142 milligrams cholesterol, 511 milligrams sodium.