Serves 6

I love the nutty crunch of raw celeriac in salads. If you prefer, toss it in lemon juice and leave for an hour to soften or blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes first.2 egg yolks

2 tsp white wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300ml groundnut oil
1 large celeriac, weighing about 800g
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
85g mixture of winter salad leaves
Small handful of chervil sprigs
2 tbsp vinaigrette

1 Begin by making a mayonnaise: put the egg yolks and vinegar in a food processor with a little seasoning and blend until smooth and creamy. With the motor still running, gradually start to trickle the oil into the yolks, drop by drop, until you have a thick mayonnaise. Once all the oil has been incorporated, you can mix in a tablespoon or two of cold water to stabilise the emulsion.

2 Peel the celeriac and cut it into quarters. With a large knife, slice into long thin strands or shred using a mandolin. You should be left with about 500g. Toss in lemon juice immediately – this will stop the celeriac from turning brown.

3 Measure 200ml mayonnaise and mix with the mustard (the rest of the mayonnaise will keep in the fridge for a few days). Stir the mayonnaise into the celeriac and check for seasoning. When ready to serve, toss the salad leaves and chervil in vinaigrette to lightly coat. Pile the celeriac into a large bowl and arrange the salad on top.

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