Serves10
- Active time:45 min
- Start to finish:45 min
November 2001
Parsley was long considered superfluous décor—a sprig on the edge of a dinner plate as a culinary corsage, or a discreet sprinkling of chopped color for a dish that’s too brown or too white. But it’s the star of this salad, and deservedly so. Curly and flat parsleys taste pretty much the same: Each has a fresh, delicate bitterness that hits the palate differently because of the distinctive shape of its leaves. The two combine to make our salad a particularly refreshing respite during a Thanksgiving feast or any other extensive, rich meal.
-
1
large fennel bulb with fronds (sometimes called anise; 1 1/4 lb)
-
4 1/2
cups
small fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (from 3 large bunches)
-
1 1/2
cups
small curly parsley sprigs (from 2 large bunches)
-
1
medium celery root (1 lb), peeled with a sharp knife and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
-
2 1/2 to 3
tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
-
2
tablespoons
minced shallot
-
3/4
teaspoon
sugar
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
1/4
teaspoon
black pepper
-
1/3
cup
olive oil
-
Tear enough fennel fronds into small sprigs to measure 1 1/2 cups. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and discard stalks. Quarter bulb lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into paper-thin slices with a mandoline or other manual slicer. Toss sliced fennel with fronds, parsley, and celery root in a large bowl.
-
Whisk together lemon juice (to taste), shallot, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil in a small bowl. Toss salad with dressing.
