This is really a cross between a classic French rémoulade and a coleslaw. Remoulaw?
Coleslade? Never mind, it’s a lovely fresh, crunchy winter treat that you can serve with,
before or after just about any dish. I particularly like it alongside meat-and-spud classics
such as stew and mash or a shepherd’s pie. You can use a good ready-made mayonnaise,
adding the double dose of mustard, but this homemade version is very quick and much
nicer.
Serves 4–6
300g celeriac
200g white cabbage
For the mustard mayo
½ garlic clove
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons English mustard
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
A pinch of sugar
150ml sunflower oil
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Start with the mayonnaise. Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt and put into a bowl with the
cider vinegar, egg yolks and both mustards. Add some salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar and stir
together. Combine the two oils in a jug. Start whisking them into the egg yolk mixture, a few drops at a
time to start with, then in small dashes. You can use an electric whisk or a food processor, but you will
still need to trickle slowly and carefully, especially to begin with. Stop when you have a glossy, wobbly
mayonnaise. Taste and add more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar or mustard if you think it needs it.
Peel the celeriac and cut into very thin matchsticks or julienne, or you can coarsely grate it if you prefer.
Stir immediately into the mayonnaise so it doesn’t get a chance to brown.
Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage and trim away any thick stems, then shred very
thinly. Stir this into the mayonnaise too. Taste the mixture again to check the seasoning, then serve.
PLUS ONE OR TWO To make this a slightly more substantial salad, stir through some cooked and cooled
Puy lentils (here). Flat-leaf parsley, either coarsely or finely chopped, is another very good addition.