CookDining

Celeriac

By 23rd November 2019 December 3rd, 2019 No Comments

Celeriac is certainly an unsung hero of the vegetable world, with its edible leaves and knobby root, most of us simply don’t know what to do with it.

Celeriac is also called the turnip-root celery or celery root and for many, I simply thought it was just the root of the celery plant. Whilst it’s a variety of celery it’s cultivated for its knobbly bulb root, with its subtle celery-like flavour and nutty overtones.

I have cooked with them for years but I can’t forget the first time I cooked them was whilst working in London. I was on the Roast and Grill section of Bluebird restaurant and my head chef at the time John Toroade was a big fan of celeriac. We ended up making a very classic side dish called Remoulade which we paired with some grilled lamb rumps. I’ll never forget it, especially after I had done 200 portions that day!

First up let’s see what other delicious things you can do with celeriac.

– Classic mashed celeriac, just peel and cook in a pot with 1/2 water 1/2 milk until tender, mash with a good knob of butter and serve with roasted fish
– Celeriac bake, just treat it the same as a creamy layered potato gratin but replace half the potatoes with sliced celeriac pieces
– Roasted whole, just peel and coat with a touch of oil, liquid honey, sea salt and fresh rosemary, bake until tender
– One of my favourites, celeriac soup! sweat off white onions and add cubed celeriac, garlic, thyme and vegetable stock. Cook until tender. Blitz with cream and serve with some crisp bacon or pancetta and truffle oil. STOP IT!
– Celeriac hash browns with black pudding
– Celeriac coleslaw, just add finely sliced celeriac into you classic slaw mix and serve with hot smoked salmon.

Basic Celeriac Remoulade

  • 1 small celeriac
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 6 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • Seasalt and pepper

Peel your celeriac and slice into thin strips or ribbons. Place into a bowl and cover with cold water and the juice of the lemon. Place into the fridge for 10 minutes before draining. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and season.

Serve alongside some BBQ lamb and a fresh cos leaf salad – YUM!