Céleri Rémoulade

Original recipe by: Leslie Brenner

This simple French salad makes a wonderful first course for a dinner party; at lunchtime you might serve it as a side with a sandwich jambon on a crusty baguette or other sandwich. Or invite it to a pot-luck picnic! If you forget to buy the crème fraîche or want to do without, just add an extra 1/4 cup of mayo. Be sure to let the céleri rémoulade sit for an hour or two — or overnight in the fridge — to let the flavors meld.

This dish is really best using homemade mayo, but for a quicker, easier version store-bought mayo is fine. The exact herbs you use aren't important, as long as you be sure to include a good amount of chopped parsley. Ditto the optional chopped cornichons and capers — use them or don't use them (tweaking the amounts if you like) according to your own taste.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise (preferable) or store-bought mayonnaise

• 4 tablespoons crème fr…