Unless it’s being turned into juice, poor celery never gets the spotlight. Alexis Deboschnek is changing that with her recipe for celery salad with walnuts and pecorino (from her new cookbook, To the Last Bite).
“I always have a bunch of celery in my fridge,” she writes. “I’m grateful to celery for adding a vegetal flavor to Italian sofrito and crunch to tuna salad, but though it excels in these supporting roles, at my house, it’s so rarely the star of the show. I wanted to make a dish where celery could shine. Crunchy, creamy and punchy, this salad hits all the right notes.”
And considering it’s ready in about ten minutes, we’re inclined to agree.
Excerpted from To the Last Bite by Alexis Deboschnek. Copyright © 2022. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
How to Store Celery So It Stays Nice and Crisp
Ingredients
¼ cup raw walnuts
1 egg yolk
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 bunch celery stalks, sliced into ⅛-inch slices on the bias, leaves reserved
2 ounces pecorino, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a plate to cool to room temperature. Once cool, roughly chop and reserve for later.
2. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon, salt and pepper until smooth. While whisking, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Add the vinegar and whisk to combine. Taste to adjust the seasoning. The dressing can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
3. On a plate, scatter the celery slices and leaves. Pour over the dressing, top with the pecorino and walnuts and serve immediately.