The Medusa of the vegetable world, celeriac looks like the root of all evil with its gnarled appearance. However, do not be put off by its looks as it’s a versatile root vegetable that can be prepared in lots of different ways and can add new flavours to the winter plate.
It can be roasted, mashed, and is famed for remoulade which is simple to make and perks up cold meats, sandwiches or as Raymond Blanc’s accompaniment to spatchcock BBQ chicken.
To prepare your celeriac, cut away the root part, and peel the outside. The simplest way to cook it is to dice into 1cm cubes, heat a glug of olive oil in a casserole pan at medium-high, add salt & some generous sprigs of lemon thyme, then add the diced celeriac. Drop the heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes until tender, stirring up occasionally. You can also spice things up a bit with delicious Zhoug added during the last 5 minutes.
Remoulade Recipe: (simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then season)
1 large celeriac, half sliced into matchsticks, half coarsely grated
150ml crème fraîche
4 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Celeriac can be the focus of your meal by slicing it into steaks, with sherry, lardons and capers or as an alternative to mash, with the addition of garlic, rosemary or horseradish as a Sunday lunch vegetable. It’s healthy and scrummy, so grab one the next time you see it on the shelf.