Celery and Celery Root Caesar Salad

Makes 4 servings

There’s no lettuce in this salad, but it’s unmistakably Caesar-like in flavor. I love making the salad in the dead of winter, when fresh greens are scarce at the farmers market and crunchy, earthy celery root is in abundance. The dressing gets its heat from a splash of homemade Red Hot Sauce; if you don’t want to make your own, you can swap in Tabasco or another vinegar-based sauce.

Red Hot Sauce

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 pasilla chile, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 3 red finger chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest of 3 oranges
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• ⅓ cup water

Combine the chiles, zest, garlic, carrots, salt, and sugar in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a very clean container and cover with cheesecloth. Let ferment at room temperature for 3 days. Transfer to a blender, add the vinegar and water, and blend until smooth. Transfer to a sterilized bottle or jar, seal, and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Caesar Dressing

Makes 1 cup

• 1 egg
• 1 serrano chile
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Red Hot Sauce or Tabasco hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Add the egg, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Let the egg cook for 7 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath to cool. Peel the egg.

Cut ½ inch from the end of the serrano and roughly chop it (with the seeds). Thinly slice the rest of the chile and set aside for the salad.

Add the egg to a blender along with the chopped serrano, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, anchovies, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. The dressing can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.

For Serving

• 1 large celery root, peeled and cut into ¼-inch matchsticks (about 3 cups)
• 4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced on a sharp bias into ¼-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• ¼ cup chopped celery leaves
• ¼ cup finely chopped mixed herbs (such as parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil)
• Reserved serrano chile slices (from dressing above)
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Caesar Dressing
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated lemon zest

In a large bowl, combine the celery root, celery, celery leaves, herbs, chile slices, ¾ cup of the Parmesan, and the salt. Toss well. Divide among four shallow bowls. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad in a zigzag pattern. Top with the remaining Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon zest. Serve.

The Takeaway

My Caesar dressing is based on the classic recipe, with one twist: Instead of using raw egg yolks, I soft-boil an entire egg and blend that into the dressing, which creates a richer version. I also don’t blend cheese into my dressing, which makes it a dairy-free option.