At Atlas Restaurant, chef Michael Roberts uses grated celery root from Berger Bluff Farm to coat salmon.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the butter, celery root and horseradish in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until well combined.
Add the lemon juice, bread crumbs, pepper, salt and cayenne and mix until a soft paste forms; set aside.
Season both sides of the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
Apply a Œ-inch layer of the celery root mixture over the top of the salmon fillets.
Roast the fillets for 8 to 12 minutes or until desired doneness.
Ladle a pool of sauce (recipe below) on the serving plate.
Top with baked salmon fillets and serve.
Creme Fraiche-Apple Cider Sauce
Mix all ingredients to combine.
* You can find creme fraiche premade at specialty grocery stores. To make your own, combine 2 cups of whipping cream with 4 Tbsp. of buttermilk. Let stand, at room temperature, for 8 to 24 hours until the mixture is very thick. Stir, then refrigerate for up to 10 days.
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh celery root
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. finely grated fresh horseradish
Juice from 2 medium lemons
¼ cup fresh plain bread crumbs
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
½ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
6 6- to 8-oz. skinless Alaskan salmon fillets
For the sauce:
1½ cups creme fraiche*
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2007.