Celeriac

Good Root

Celeriac might be the unsung hero of the veg world.

Nobbly celeriac might not be the prettiest of veg, but its subtle celery-like flavour with warm, nutty overtones makes it a bit of a hero in our books. True, its tough skin might make it a bit of a brute to prepare, but the effort is surely worth it.

PREPARING CELERIAC

The best way to tackle your celeriac is to top and tail it, then remove the skin using a potato peeler. Don’t worry if your celeriac looks massive either, you’ll find that you lose up to about a quarter of it once you’ve prepared it.

HOW TO USE CELERIAC

Once you’ve done the leg work, celeriac can be used in a variety of ways. You can cube it and toss it into stews, or it makes an absolutely banging soup. It also makes a tasty alternative to mash, roast it, or blitz it up to make a purée if you’re feeling fancy. Or, of course, you could always make like the French and turn it into remoulade.

TAKE NOTE

One thing to remember though, it will discolour quickly once peeled or chopped so, if you’re not planning on cooking it straight away, cover it in cold water with a squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar to keep it looking fresh.

CELERIAC CURRY WITH CHARD AND CARDAMOM RICE

Celeriac has a wonderful ability to soak up flavours, whilst also bringing its own subtle, nutty fragrance to proceedings. You can use a peeler to remove the skin but I find it easier to use a sharp knife instead as the root end can be a little gnarled, tangled and hard to navigate. A little wastage is acceptable for a clean result.

SERVES 2

1 onion 2 garlic cloves 25g fresh ginger 1 celeriac 1 head chard 2 tomatoes Oil for frying e.g. sunflower or light olive 1 tsp mustard seeds A few curry leaves 1 tbsp curry powder ½ tsp turmeric 400ml coconut milk 1 chilli 1 tbsp ground almonds A few cardamom pods 150g brown basmati rice Salt and pepper

1 Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water. Peel the onion, garlic and ginger. Grate them all on a fine grater, or pulse them in a food processor with a splash of water if you have one. Alternatively, you could just chop them all very finely. 2 Wash and peel the celeriac. Cut into 2cm cubes. Wash the chard and strip the leaves away from the stalks. Finely dice the stalks and shred the leaves. Roughly chop the tomatoes. 3 Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Fry briefly until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Mix and cook gently for 3 minutes. Tip in the curry powder, turmeric, tomato, celeriac and diced chard stalks. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the coconut milk. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes. 4 While it cooks, take the time to deseed and finely slice the chilli. While the celeriac cooks, bash the cardamom pods once or twice with the butt of your knife or a rolling pin. 5 Tip the rice into the pan of boiling water along with the cardamom pods. Stir once and lower to the gentlest of simmers. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. Taste the curry; if you would like it a bit hotter add some of the sliced chilli. If unsure at this stage, you can garnish with raw chilli at the end to add more heat. 6 When the celeriac is just tender, add the chard leaves and ground almonds. Simmer for a further 8 minutes until everything is tender and the liquid has thickened into a sauce. Add a dash more water if it looks too dry. Check the seasoning in the curry. 7 When the rice has cooked, drain it and remove the cardamom pods. Fluff it up with a fork and serve topped with the celeriac curry. Recipe by Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk)

CELERIAC AND MUSHROOM PIE

This is a dish that fits so snugly into the category of 'winter warmer' it gives the heartiest of meat pies a run for their money.

SERVES 2

1 celeriac 1 red onion 2 garlic cloves Light olive or vegetable oil 25g butter 1 tbsp cider vinegar 200g portobello mushrooms 75ml red wine 1 small sprig rosemary 150ml double cream 1 nutmeg 1 egg 1 pack puff pastry 200g spring greens Salt and pepper

1 Peel the celeriac and cut into 1½cm cubes. Peel and slice the onion. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. 2 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan. Get it very hot, so that it is shimmering and nearly starting to smoke. Add the celeriac, being careful not to splash yourself as the oil will hiss and spit for a few seconds. Keep it moving so it doesn't catch or burn and after 2 minutes, add 50ml of water, half the butter, the cider vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Pop on the lid. 3 Keep checking every 5 minutes, adding a dash more water if it looks like it may be catching. You want it to cook through, so the edges become soft and the middle retains a toothsome bite, about 15 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to evaporate any excess liquid. 4 Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the onion on a medium heat until starting to soften, about 10 minutes. While they cook, thickly slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the onions, turn up the heat and cook until they start to brown and release their moisture, about 5 minutes. 5 Pour the wine into the mushrooms, add the chopped garlic and let the liquid bubble and reduce until you have a dark, sticky mess. Season with salt and pepper. Strip the leaves from a small stalk of rosemary and finely chop them. Combine the celeriac and mushrooms in the pie dish/roasting tray. 6 Pour in 150ml of cream, grate in a little nutmeg and add the chopped rosemary. Mix gently and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper or nutmeg if you see fit. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Gas Mark 6. Lightly beat the egg. Unroll the pastry and cut it out to the size of the rim of your dish. Place it over the top of the filling, tucking it in around the sides. 7 Brush with the beaten egg, lightly score a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife and slash a couple of holes in it for the steam to escape. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. 8 While the pie cooks, wash the greens and strip away and discard any tough central stalks. Slice the leaves into a fine shred. Heat a little oil in the other pan and cook the greens until wilted and tender, 8-10 minutes, on a gentle heat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the pie between 2 plates and serve each with a pile of greens. Recipe by Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk)