9 Autumnal Celeriac Recipes To Try At Home
How To Cook With Celeriac – Bob Andrew, Riverford
PREP
Knobbly and knotted, celeriac is a bit of a challenge to peel. Sometimes a veg peeler works fine, but if the skin is too tough and uneven, use a sharp knife to trim back the most awkward bits. Don’t be shy: the washed trimmings are very good for the stockpot, as are the stalks and leaves. Rinse the celeriac well after peeling, then, if you’re not cooking straight away, drop the chopped pieces into a bowl of cold water mixed with a dash of lemon juice or white wine vinegar, otherwise the exposed flesh will quickly discolour.
RAW CELERIAC
Raw celeriac adds interest and flavour to vibrant autumn and winter salads or slaws without trucking in salad ingredients from sunnier climes. Grate it coarsely on a box grater or in a food processor, or cut into slices (a mandolin is good for this) and then into slender matchsticks. For a softer finish, blanch the matchsticks for a minute in boiling water.
COOKED CELERIAC
Celeriac has remarkable versatility, both in texture and flavour. It can be made into velvety mash, a rich soup, tender gratins and pies, and in the Riverford Field Kitchen one of our favourite ways to bring out its mellow aniseed notes is simply by roasting it.
For mash…
Boil chunks of celeriac in salted water until completely tender, 15-20 minutes depending on their size. Drain and combine with an equal quantity of cooked floury potatoes and some butter, cream and mustard. For further variation, cube a couple of apples and add to the cooking celeriac, or boil your celeriac in milk with a few peeled garlic cloves then drain and blitz with a little of the cooking milk. Eat as a purée or mash with potatoes.
For ‘smashed’ celeriac…
For a rustic-looking side with a nice bit of uneven texture, heat a glug of olive oil in a pan over a high heat then add chunks of celeriac. It will hiss and spit – keep it moving so it doesn’t catch or burn. After a few minutes, add 50ml of water, a knob of butter, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. Give it a final stir, cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium. Keep checking every 5 minutes, adding a dash more water if it looks like catching. Cook until the edges are soft, but the middle retains its bite – about 20 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to evaporate off any excess liquid, then season to taste. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash the celeriac – as much or little as you like.
Good additions include:
-
A couple of finely chopped garlic cloves added halfway through cooking.
-
A slosh of white wine, red wine or marsala part way through cooking, since celeriac is strong-flavoured enough to stand up to a bit of booze – as the liquid evaporates its taste will intensify.
-
A sprinkling of finely chopped rosemary and chilli, or thyme and sweet paprika, when the celeriac’s nearly done and cooking for another few minutes with the lid off.
-
An extra squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the taste at the end.
For roasted celeriac…
Peel as described above and cut into evenly sized cubes or batons. Toss with olive oil and salt, then spread in a single layer over a roasting dish (use two if you don’t have room – it needs a little space so that it roasts rather than steams). Roast at 190°C/Gas 5 for about 40 minutes, until tender and starting to caramelise round the edges. To reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes, you could also blanch the celeriac for 5 minutes in boiling salted water beforehand. Serve roasted cubes or batons simply, with a squeeze of lemon and some chopped dill or parsley. This goes well with white fish.
Good additions include:
-
Robust cooked grains (such as spelt or pearl barley) or lentils. Add chopped apple, crumbled blue cheese, peppery leaves and a mustardy vinaigrette (see page 000) for a hearty, healthy salad.
-
Fold the mix into a risotto a few minutes before the rice is done, just to warm the celeriac through.
-
Whizz up with some fried onions and stock to make a quick soup; or whizz into a purée with butter or cream and salt and pepper and serve alongside strong-tasting meats – beef, venison or game – or seared scallops and bacon.
For whole roasted celeriac…
To save labour and celebrate the knobbly veg, roast your celeriac whole and serve it as a centrepiece. Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Wash a medium celeriac well to remove any dirt (use a veg scrubber if you have one). Pat dry or leave to air-dry. Put the celeriac on a large sheet of foil on a baking tray and rub all over with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and add a few thyme sprigs and garlic cloves, then wrap the foil tightly around the celeriac to seal it. Roast for 2 hours, then open the foil around the top and roast for a further 20-30 minutes, so the skin crisps up a little. Squeeze it a little – the celeriac should feel soft inside; if not, leave it to cook further. To serve, cut open and add a large knob of butter, like a jacket potato.
Inspired? Here are five further recipes to try at home…
Frying Pan Celeriac Gratin
Bob Andrew, Riverford
Put a medium saucepan of salted water on to boil. Peel and thinly slice (no more than ½cm) the celeriac. Halve any larger pieces. Boil for 5-6 mins, until just tender to a knife tip (if it's too soft, it will fall apart). Drain it well, then transfer to a plate.
Trim the leek, halve lengthways, then cut into ½cm slices. Wash well to remove any grit. Finely chop 1 good tbsp of rosemary. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Melt the butter and ½ tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Gently fry the leek, garlic and rosemary for 10 mins, stirring often, while you slice the mushrooms (approx. 1cm).
Transfer the leek to a plate. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same pan. Stir-fry the mushrooms on a medium-high heat for 4-5 mins, until softened (do in 2 batches if needs be). Transfer to another plate. Remove the pan from the heat.
Preheat your grill to medium-high. Put the frying pan back on the heat. Stir in the leek, flour, bouillon, crème fraîche, mustard, grated cheddar, ½ the Italian cheese and 250ml of boiled water. Stir on a low-medium heat for 2-3 mins, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season. Take the pan off the heat.
Layer the mushrooms and celeriac in the pan. Gently turn them to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining Italian cheese. Grill for 6-7 mins, until golden, while you continue.
Strip the spring green leaves off their stalks. Wash them, roll them up, then thinly shred. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the saucepan. Cook the greens on a medium heat for 3-4 mins, until wilted. Add a splash of water to help them along if needed. Season and add lemon juice to taste. Serve with the celeriac gratin.
Visit Riverford.co.uk
Venison Casserole With Thyme, Garlic & Celeriac Purée
Daylesford
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Heat the butter or oil in a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan. Once hot, fry the venison in batches, browning evenly all over and removing to a large bowl between batches.
Next, add the bacon to the sauté pan and cook until golden and crispy, tipping into the bowl once cooked. Then add a little more oil to the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, shallots and celery. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are nicely browned all over. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for a further minute, before tipping all of the vegetables into the bowl with the venison.
Return the sauté pan to the heat and pour in a generous splash of the red wine to de-glaze. Add the flour to the liquid and whisk through to remove any lumps. Stir in the rest of the wine and then return the browned meat and vegetables from the bowl to the sauté pan. Pour in the stock, stirring everything together well. Add the thyme, bring to a simmer and then cover with a lid. Place in the middle of the oven for 1 ½-2 hours until the venison is just tender.
To make the celeriac purée, place the chopped celeriac in a saucepan with the garlic and thyme. Pour over the milk – there should be just enough to cover the celeriac. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the celeriac is soft enough to break with the back of a fork. Strain through a colander, reserving the milk and discarding the thyme sprigs.
Tip the cooked celeriac into a jug blender, with the butter, salt and pepper. Add a couple of ladles of the milk and blend to a smooth, velvety purée, adding more milk if needed. Taste to check the seasoning.
When ready to serve, top the venison with a little chopped parsley and enjoy with the celeriac purée and some lightly wilted greens.
Visit Daylesford.com
Simple Celeriac Soup
Ligia Lugo, The Daring Kitchen
Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Add in the olive oil.
Add the celeriac, leek, potato, garlic and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until the celeriac starts to soften, approximately 10 minutes
Next, add the vegetable stock. Bring the soup up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the celeriac is completely tender.
Add the parsley and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can blend in batches in a regular one. Return to the heat and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of yogurt/sour cream.
Visit TheDaringKitchen.com
Celeriac Katsu Curry
Akira Shimizu, Akira at Japan House
Celeriac is a great vegetarian option if you’re making a Japanese katsu curry and a lovely autumnal ingredient. Be sure to use all of the celeriac, slicing and roasting it in the oven until it’s tender.
Next, coat the cooked celeriac in the mixture of seasoned flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs.
Fry in hot oil until crisp and golden.
Serve with katsu curry sauce and white rice.
Visit JapanHouseLondon.UK
Blood Orange Salad With Balsamic Pearls, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Baked Feta
Henry Russell, Belazu
Heat an oven to 175°C. Peel the skin from the celeriac, place the skin in a bowl and toss in vegetable oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until crisp, remove from the oven and set aside.
Wrap the feta cheese in tinfoil, or place on a small baking tray, sprinkle with chilli flakes and place in the oven to soften.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the remaining celeriac into ribbons, place in a bowl and season with salt and a little of the olive oil. Set aside.
Use a paring knife to cut the skin and pith from the blood oranges, then cut out each segment with a bowl underneath to catch the juice. Place the blood orange flesh in the same bowl as the celeriac ribbons. Add the remaining olive oil to the blood orange juice to create a dressing and set aside.
Remove the base from the chicory and slice thinly into vertical strips, place in the bowl along with the celeriac ribbons and blood oranges. Mix together and season with salt and pepper. Divide the salad between plates.
Dot balsamic pearls over the salads, followed by the crispy celeriac skin. Finally, remove the feta from the oven and use a spoon to crumble over the salads, then sprinkle with parsley.
Visit Belazu.com
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.