Celery Root with Brown Butter, Oranges, Dates, and Almonds
This salad was the perfect complement to the stuffed pork loin roast I made last week. When I was planning this menu I first thought of making a crisp and simple garlicky kale and parmesan salad with bread crumbs - one of my staples, and always a good option. But the more I thought about it I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to go outside of my typical comfort zone and try something else new and fun. Holidays with good friends are the perfect time to do this!
I flipped through my favorite cookbook and found this seasonal recipe which look unique and not something I’m going to put together for myself on a typical weeknight. The star of this salad is the humble celery root. Admittedly not my favorite vegetable, but I’m aways up for a challenge - turn the theoretical lemon into lemonade!
I thought this salad turned out great! There are so many assertive flavors here that the flavor of the celery root just blended into the whole dish seamlessly. There are a lot of components to this salad, so it did take some time to prep, but the end result was worth it!
Celery Root with Brown Butter, Oranges, Dates, and Almonds
From Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden
Ingredients
2 naval oranges, preferably Cara Caras or blood oranges
1 small or 1/2 large celery root (about 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup pitted dates, cut into quarters or smaller (I highly recommend Medjool dates instead of deglet noor dates, they are much softer and tastier in my opinion!)
1/4 teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Brined and Roasted Almonds (recipe below) - I would highly recommend making these, they are delicious and totally worth an additional step!
1 small bunch chives, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Grate the zest from one of the oranges, then squeeze the juice from half of that grated orange.
Cut a small slice from the navel and stem ends of the second orange and set the orange on the cutting board on one cut end. Using a sharp paring knife, cut away all the orange peel and the underlying white pith from top to bottom, working in strips around the orange. Slice off any remaining bits of pith. Halve the orange pole to pole (not through the equator). Set a half on the cutting board cut side down and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick half moons. Repeat with the other half and put all slices in a large bowl.
Using a sharp paring knife, cut away all tough exteriors of the celery root; if there are dark fissures remaining, cut those away too. Cut the whole thing in half, and if the circumference of the halves is still big and unwieldy, halve them again. Set one piece of celery root on the cutting board on a cut side, and slice as thin as you can. When the piece of celery root gets wobbly, turn to another side and keep cutting — it’s okay if the slices are shaped differently Put the celery root in the bowl with the oranges.
Add the juice from the orange half you squeezed, half the grated zest (save the other half), the dates, chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and lots of twists of fresh black pepper and toss. Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper and chile flakes until the salad is very zippy. Add a glug of olive oil and toss again. Add the almonds, chives, and parsley and toss. Taste and adjust one more time.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling the pan every few seconds, until all the water inside the butter has sizzled off and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan begin to turn a pale golden color, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook the butter until it turns golden brown and smells nutty and delicious, another few seconds. When the butter looks and smells perfect, immediately — so the butter stops cooking and doesn’t get too dark — pour it into a little bowl.
Arrange the salad on plates or a platter and pour the warm brown butter over top. Sprinkle with the reserved orange zest and serve.
Brined and Roasted Almonds
From Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 ½ cups raw skin-on almonds (about 8 ounces)
Directions
Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add the salt and stir to dissolve. Add the almonds to the hot brine, remove from the heat, and let them soak for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Drain the almonds thoroughly and spread them evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Roast until they are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 12 minutes. Take one out to test by biting into it – the interior should be a light brown, almost the color of a paper bag. The nuts will be soft at this stage, but once completely cooled they will be very crunchy and nicely salty. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.