My favourite side dish for anything crunchy, especially schnitzel, would have to be celeriac remoulade. The velvety rich remoulade is a perfect accompaniment, almost like a sauce, to the golden crumbed schnitzel.
I don’t like to add too much mayonnaise to the dish as I like to keep it light and not over the top, plus it needs a good Dijon kick to it. Of course it does help to have a mandolin slicer for slicing the celeriac, but a sharp knife will cut through the celeriac well as it isn’t too firm for slicing - cut thin slices first then the thin strips.
Pictured: Celeriac Remoulade
1 bulb celeriac
1 – 2 tbsp mayonnaise, or to taste
Juice ½ - 1 lemon
2 tsp Dijon mustard, or to taste
Sea salt and pepper
Prepare the mayonnaise sauce first – mix all but the celeriac together in a large bowl, ready to toss the shredded celeriac into. Taste test the sauce for the balance you like – I like to have a small amount of sauce so the celeriac doesn’t swim in it but just enough to coat. It should have a nice lemon tang, and a good horseradish hint from the Dijon. You should also have a nice hum of salt and pepper.
Peel the celeriac til it is a smooth white bulb, and slice to thin strips – no larger than a matchstick, but not much thinner either – the size of the julienne strips makes a huge difference to the texture and enjoyment of this dish and worth the few minutes of time to get it right and consistent – on a whole the dish is so simple and will keep happily for an hour or two on the bench or a few hours in the fridge, as the lemon juice will keep it from oxidising. Therefore this is a good side dish to make in advance. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature again before serving and don't let sit overnight in fridge as the celeriac will soften too much.
Toss the celeriac into the sauce and have a taste to adjust any seasoning.
Serve alongside schnitzel or any crumbed fish etc. This is also a lovely accompaniment with a platter of ham and other tapas.
Optional - feel free to add some toasted nuts or seeds to the dish for extra flavour.
Pictured: Celeriac bulb