Chef Juliette
Riz au Blanc (for Fowls and Eggs)
Riz au Blanc proves that plain rice is a technique, not an absence: parboil it in abundant salted water, drain it dry, then let butter and low oven heat separate every tender grain.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Salsifis Sauté
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 2261, Salsifis Sauté, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Tender salsify tossed in foaming butter until its edges turn gold, then crowned with crisp fried parsley. The pan matters, but drying decides everything: wet roots steam, dry roots color.
Side Dishes
French
Weeknight
Quick Meal
Comfort Food
25 min
Active Time
30 min cook•55 min total
Yield4 servings
Salsifis Sauté (salsify tossed in butter until golden) teaches one clean lesson: browning begins before the pan. Cooked salsify carries water in its ridges and tender flesh. Leave that water there and the butter cannot color it; dry the roots properly and their pale surfaces take on a nutty gold while the centers remain tender.
The source entry assumed two pieces of brigade mise en place: salsify already cooked and fried parsley waiting at the garnish station. For a home kitchen, the roots are simmered here, the omelet pan becomes a broad 12-inch skillet, and a warmed serving bowl stands in for the timbale. The prepared vegetable, garnish station, and formal serving vessel were scaffolding. The two-inch cut, emphatic drying, real butter, and tossing in the pan are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
Give the cooked pieces time on clean towels before they meet the butter. If moisture collects in the skillet and the roots remain pale, stop and dry them again rather than boiling them in their own water. Ça se rattrape. Drying is the step that decides the dish.
Salsifis sauté belongs to Parisian cuisine bourgeoise and the national repertoire of vegetable side dishes, where roots cooked in advance were finished in butter just before service. It traveled easily between the winter market basket, the household table, and the grand kitchen, which added the timbale and crisp fried parsley without changing the plain method beneath them. French markets have long used salsifis for both pale true salsify and dark-skinned scorzonera; the roots are botanically distinct, but the classical kitchen treats them in much the same fashion.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
fresh salsify roots
Quantity
about 10 medium roots (2 lb / 900 g)
cold water
Quantity
8 cups (1.9 L / 1.9 kg)
for holding and simmering
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g)
fine sea salt
Quantity
2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g), divided, plus more to taste
unsalted butter
Quantity
4 tablespoons (60 ml / 56 g)
divided
flat-leaf parsley leaves
Quantity
1/2 cup loosely packed (120 ml / 8 g)
washed and dried completely
neutral frying oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
Quantity
1/2 cup (120 ml / 110 g)
finely ground white pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| fresh salsify roots | about 10 medium roots (2 lb / 900 g) |
| cold waterfor holding and simmering | 8 cups (1.9 L / 1.9 kg) |
| fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) |
| fine sea salt | 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g), divided, plus more to taste |
| unsalted butterdivided | 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 56 g) |
| flat-leaf parsley leaveswashed and dried completely | 1/2 cup loosely packed (120 ml / 8 g) |
| neutral frying oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed | 1/2 cup (120 ml / 110 g) |
| finely ground white pepper | 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Large bowl for acidulated water
- •4-quart wide saucepan
- •12-inch heavy skillet or omelet pan
- •1-quart saucepan for frying parsley
- •Small spider or slotted spoon
- •Clean kitchen towels or absorbent paper
Instructions
- 1
Peel and Cut
Combine the cold water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Scrub the salsify, then peel one root at a time and cut it into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, dropping each piece immediately into the acidulated water. Salsify darkens quickly and releases a sticky sap as it is peeled, so gloves are useful, though hardly mandatory.
- 2
Simmer Until Tender
Transfer the salsify and its acidulated water to a wide saucepan, then add 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml / 9 g) of the salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 18 minutes, until a small knife enters the thickest pieces with slight resistance. Do not cook them until collapsing soft; they still have to survive the skillet. Lift out thinner pieces as they become ready, then drain everything thoroughly.
- 3
Dry Without Compromise
Spread the cooked salsify in a single layer on clean kitchen towels or several layers of absorbent paper. Blot the tops gently, then leave the pieces uncovered for at least 10 minutes, turning them once. Their surfaces should feel dry rather than slick before they approach the pan.
This pause is not brigade scaffolding. It is the preparation. Water trapped on the surface turns butter sautéing into simmering, and no amount of extra heat can give a wet root an even golden face. - 4
Fry the Parsley
While the salsify dries, heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan to about 350°F (175°C). Add the completely dry parsley in two small batches and fry for 8 to 12 seconds, until the leaves deepen in color and become crisp. Stand back as the first leaves enter the oil. Lift them out with a small spider or slotted spoon, drain on absorbent paper, and season with a small pinch of salt.
- 5
Toss in Butter
Heat a broad 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of the butter. When it foams vigorously, add the dried salsify in one uncrowded layer. Let the pieces sit for a minute before tossing the pan, then continue cooking for 6 to 9 minutes, tossing only often enough to expose new sides, until the roots wear irregular patches of deep butter-gold. If liquid collects and the pieces remain pale, lift them onto a clean towel, wipe the skillet, blot the roots again, and restart with the reserved butter. Ça se rattrape. Season with the remaining salt and the white pepper, then add any reserved butter not needed for the rescue and toss once more until everything gleams.
- 6
Dish and Serve
Tip the salsify into a warmed, deep serving bowl, keeping the pieces loose rather than packing them down. Spoon the butter remaining in the skillet over the roots and scatter the fried parsley across the top at the last moment so it stays crisp. Serve immediately. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Choose firm, straight roots without soft patches. Dark-skinned scorzonera is often sold under the same name and works beautifully; its white interior receives the same peeling, simmering, and butter finish.
- •When fresh roots are tired or unavailable, use 4 cups (960 ml / about 700 g) well-drained jarred salsify. Rinse only if the packing liquid tastes strongly salty, skip the simmering step, and give the pieces the full drying time. An honest preserved root is better than a weary fresh one.
- •The neutral oil belongs only to the fried parsley. Sauté the salsify in butter, not oil or margarine. The milk solids help produce its golden color, and the flavor is the point. We don't apologize for butter.
- •If your skillet cannot hold the roots without crowding, brown them in two batches. Crowding traps moisture, while a broad pan lets each piece touch hot metal.
- •Serve this beside roast chicken, a veal or pork chop, or a plain omelet. Salsify has a gentle earthy sweetness, so it rewards simple company rather than a noisy plate.
Advance Preparation
- •The salsify may be simmered up to one day ahead. Cool it completely, refrigerate it in a covered container, then let it stand on clean towels for 20 minutes and blot it again before sautéing.
- •The parsley may be fried up to two hours before serving and kept uncovered on absorbent paper at room temperature.
- •Do not brown the salsify ahead. Its golden surface softens as it sits, and the final toss takes less than 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 200g)
Calories
270 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
8 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
6 g
Cholesterol
30 mg
Sodium
390 mg
Total Carbohydrates
33 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
0 g
Protein
6 g
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