Posting two recipes in a row for similar celery salads might be the kind of thing that would lose a blogger his (very) small handful of regular readers ... but then you'd try this recipe and be (extra) grateful for said blogger. After making the Celery and Parmesan Salad twice, I just happened to read an article on the Bon Appétit website called “The Keepers: The Recipes We Cook Over, and Over, and Over Again.” Among the 19 recipes collected there was another one for a celery salad, with a separate appreciation by Carla Lalli Music (former Bon Appétit food director) with the eye-catching title “This Celery Salad Is Actually Amazing and Yes, the Main Ingredient Is Celery.”
And so I had to try this one too, and yes, it is most definitely amazing. Not only did Mom—having now overcome her deep-seated skepticism of celery as the main ingredient in anything—and I both pronounce it "heavenly," but I'll go so far as to say that this is one of the best salads of any kind I've ever tasted. Depending on what items you plan to keep in your pantry, both celery salads are worth having in your repertoire, but this is the one that will really impress your dinner guests—when you have dinner guests again.
Celery Salad with Almonds, Dates, and Parmesan
Adapted from Joshua McFadden from Bon Appétit (Sept. 2013) and Six Seasons (2017)
Time: 23 minutes
The leaves are a nice part of this salad, so buy a whole head of celery, rather than pre-trimmed celery hearts. If you get a very stringy bunch of celery, you can peel off the fibrous outer layer with a vegetable peeler. In Six Seasons, McFadden includes the extra step of soaking the celery slices in a bowl of ice water for about 20 minutes to “heighten the crispness,” then draining and patting them dry before proceeding with the recipe. But I think celery is already plenty crisp without this step, which wasn’t included when the recipe was originally published in Bon Appétit, so I skipped it.
65 grams (½ cup) raw almonds
8 celery stalks, with the tender leaves (see note)
6 soft Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped or snipped
45 grams (3 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes, or to taste (you can use regular crushed red pepper flakes or something like Aleppo or Marash for less heat and more flavor)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
55 grams/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
53 grams (¼ cup) good extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 325 degrees. Place the almonds on a small sheet pan (a 9-by-6½-inch eighth sheet pan is perfect). Toast the almonds, shaking the pan once or twice, until they are fragrant and a shade or two darker, about 10 minutes; watch carefully. Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool, then chop them coarsely.
2. Meanwhile, clean and trim the celery, separating the leaves and reserving. Slice the stalks on a sharp (more than 45-degree) angle into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Transfer to a large bowl with the celery leaves.
3. Add the almonds, dates, lemon juice, and chile flakes, and toss with the celery. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan shavings and oil, and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you’re aiming for a perfect balance of salty, tart, and sweet. Serves 4 to 6 as a side.
45 grams (3 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes, or to taste (you can use regular crushed red pepper flakes or something like Aleppo or Marash for less heat and more flavor)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
55 grams/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
53 grams (¼ cup) good extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 325 degrees. Place the almonds on a small sheet pan (a 9-by-6½-inch eighth sheet pan is perfect). Toast the almonds, shaking the pan once or twice, until they are fragrant and a shade or two darker, about 10 minutes; watch carefully. Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool, then chop them coarsely.
2. Meanwhile, clean and trim the celery, separating the leaves and reserving. Slice the stalks on a sharp (more than 45-degree) angle into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Transfer to a large bowl with the celery leaves.
3. Add the almonds, dates, lemon juice, and chile flakes, and toss with the celery. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan shavings and oil, and toss gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you’re aiming for a perfect balance of salty, tart, and sweet. Serves 4 to 6 as a side.
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| Dylan’s comments: This is “definitely a keeper,” but double or triple (!) the chile flakes and use a teaspoon or two (5 to 10 grams) less lemon juice |
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