French with Nicole

  A  French classic to be savoured as a side-dish or as a starter as part of a crudité platter and makes perfect use of an under-used vegetable. Choose from capers, parley or gherkins (or any combination of all there), to add flavour and a pretty hint of green.  Serve four as a side dish Ingredients: 1 celeriac Juice of one lemon For the remoulade sauce: 2 eggs yolks 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 120ml olive oil (good quality if you can) Salt and paper To serve (all optional – just choose your favourite (s)) 2 tsp capers, drained 2 tsp finely chopped flat parley 5 gherkins, drained and finely chopped 4 tsp of peanuts, finally chopped Method Use a sharp knife to carefully peel the celeriac and remove the knobbly outer surface. Put one litre of cold water and half the lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut the celeriac unto thin julienne strips (or use a blender) and put immediately into the lemon water to prevent discoloration. Soak up for up

  Barbeques are as popular in France as they are in the UK and one of the essential items on any French grill is the merguez sausage. Originating in North Africa, this long, thin sausage is usually made from lamb or beef mince (never pork) and is heavily spiced with cayenne, cumin and garlic. It is usually cooked over wood or coal, firstly to give it a distinctive smoky flavour but also to avoid making a mess of your oven due to the high fat content!  They are available to buy online or you could try making your own. Click on  homemade-merguez-sausage-recipe