These golden breaded schnitzels have a tender celeriac center with the distinctive flavor of celery root. Rustic mashed potatoes and a creamy Dijon sauce make it a full fall dinner. Serve the sauce alongside the schnitzels so the breadcrumb crust stays crisp.
Start with a tender, dry vegetable slice
Briefly precooking the celeriac gives the center a head start. Let the slices steam dry, then pat them thoroughly before breading. They can then finish cooking while the crust turns golden. Make the potatoes and sauce alongside the vegetable prep, leaving the frying until last.
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At a glance
Golden Celeriac Schnitzel with Creamy Mash and Mustard Sauce
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Total time
- 55 min
- Yield
- 4 main-course servings
Ingredients for 4 servings
Prep: about 25 minutes · Cooking: about 30 minutes · Total: about 55 minutes. Two large skillets keep frying time manageable; allow extra time if using one. Metric weights are the reference amounts; US measures are approximate.
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| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 800 g | celeriac (celery root), weighed after peeling and trimming (about 1¾ lb; buy roughly 2½–3 lb untrimmed) |
| 800 g | floury potatoes, peeled weight (about 1¾ lb), such as russets |
| 60 g | all-purpose flour*, divided: 50 g for dredging and 10 g for the sauce |
| 2 | eggs (100 g without shells; about 2 US large eggs) |
| 120 g | plain panko breadcrumbs* or a plain panko*-style coating |
| 60 g | neutral high-heat frying oil* (about 4½ tablespoons) |
| 40 g | unsalted butter, divided: 30 g for the potatoes and 10 g for the sauce |
| 200 ml | whole milk (about ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) |
| 100 ml | whipping cream, about 30% fat (about ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) |
| 200 ml | mild prepared vegetable broth* (about ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) |
| 50 g | shallot, peeled and finely diced (about 1¾ oz) |
| 30 g | Dijon mustard* (about 2 tablespoons), starting with 20 g and adding the rest to taste |
| ½ teaspoon | fine salt* to start, divided, plus salt* for the cooking water and to taste |
| ½ teaspoon | freshly ground black pepper* (about 1 g), divided |
| 1 | small pinch freshly grated nutmeg* (about 0.2 g) |
| 15 ml | lemon juice (1 tablespoon), divided between the sauce and schnitzels to taste |
| 10 g | flat-leaf parsley, chopped (about ⅓ oz) |
| — | Optional: lemon wedges for serving |
Instructions
- Cut the prepared celeriac into slices about ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick, aiming for roughly eight smaller schnitzels; halve especially large slices. Cut the potatoes into even chunks. Cover with water in a saucepan, lightly salt and simmer for about 18–20 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile, gently boil the celeriac slices in a second pan of lightly salted water for about 6–8 minutes. A knife tip should enter with a little resistance, while the slices remain sturdy. Lift out, let steam dry for about 5 minutes and pat both sides thoroughly dry. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and about half the black pepper.
- For the sauce, melt 10 g butter in a small saucepan. Gently cook the shallot over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Stir in 10 g flour and cook for about 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in the vegetable broth, add the cream and gently simmer, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat, stir in 20 g Dijon mustard and keep warm.
- Warm the milk. Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry in the warm pan for about 1 minute. Crush with a potato masher, gradually working in 30 g butter and the warm milk. Season with the nutmeg, initially ¼ teaspoon salt and some of the remaining black pepper. Taste and adjust with salt or black pepper as needed. Cover and keep warm over very low heat; do not use an immersion blender.
- Set up three shallow dishes: 50 g flour, the beaten eggs and the panko. Lightly coat the dry celeriac slices in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg, then coat in panko, pressing gently. Discard leftover breading ingredients that have come into contact with raw egg.
- Divide the frying oil between two large skillets and heat over medium to medium-high heat. It should be hot but not smoking; a few crumbs should sizzle gently. Fry in uncrowded batches for about 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Reduce the heat if the coating browns too quickly. The center should be tender and the egg coating fully cooked. Briefly drain on a rack without stacking.
- Taste the mustard sauce. Add the remaining Dijon mustard to taste, then start with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and add salt or black pepper only if needed; the broth and mustard already contribute salt. Loosen a thick sauce with a small splash of water. Taste the mashed potatoes again and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Divide the schnitzels and mashed potatoes among four plates. Spoon the mustard sauce alongside, scatter with parsley and add the remaining lemon juice sparingly to the schnitzels to taste. Add optional lemon wedges and serve immediately while the crust is crisp.
Keeping the crust crisp
Let the precooked celeriac steam dry, then pat it thoroughly. Bread just before frying and avoid overcrowding the skillet. Rest cooked schnitzels side by side on a rack rather than stacking them or leaving them on a damp plate. Keep the sauce alongside or serve separately.
Celeriac means celery root
Use the firm bulb, not celery stalks. Remove the peel and rough root end generously; the recipe calls for 800 g prepared vegetable. Smaller edge pieces can be breaded too, or saved for soup. Slices of a similar thickness will cook more evenly.
Adjusting the potatoes and sauce
Floury potatoes, warm milk and a hand masher give a fluffy rustic mash. An immersion blender can make it gluey. Dijon brands vary in heat and saltiness, so add part of the mustard first, then balance with a little lemon juice and salt or black pepper only as needed.
Preparing ahead
You can precook the celeriac a day ahead, cool promptly and refrigerate covered. Pat dry again before breading, and make sure the center gets hot when frying. Cool and refrigerate leftover sauce and potatoes separately; thoroughly reheat and eat within 2 days. The schnitzels have their best crust freshly fried. Do not save breading ingredients that have touched raw egg.
Approximate nutrition per serving
Estimated per serving (one quarter of the recipe, including mashed potatoes and sauce): 763 calories, 93 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein and 37 g fat. This calculation includes all the prepared breading and 60 g frying oil. Breading and oil left over, as well as the products used, will change the actual values. Salt added to taste is not represented by a precise sodium value.
Contains celery, wheat/gluten, egg, milk and mustard. Check broth and breadcrumb labels for other allergens. Even if using gluten-free panko, the listed wheat flour means the recipe is not gluten-free. Do not taste raw egg breading; cook it thoroughly.
Recipe by myai
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