…I love Celeriac!
Serious. Weird right?
How can I adore Celeriac and not worship Celery? Quite easily. I hate the lingering oniony smell with celery and the strong after taste…and though Celeriac has the same smell, it is a much lighter fragrance with a less powerful smell. Plus it hints at Celery but rather than crunch, has warmth and whole-heartedness at its core!
3 top celeriac facts
- It is a big, fat, ugly bulb, often the size of a grapefruit……and I’m glad I can vent on a veggie that can’ react!
- Cousin to celery, it actually comes with a bunch of celery leaves, though the stalks are not as tight as your regular celery bouquet.
- When peeled, the flesh can change colour if not ‘acidulated’ – lemon helps keep it looking ‘young’.
The first time I bought Celeriac, I spent an entire weekend cooking it in different ways
Recipe #1 – Celeriac and Apple remoulade with toasted French bread a la baguette slices and salt-baked sardines
Recipe #2 – Celeriac mash with red wine poached pears and venison
Recipe #3 – Celeriac soup with bacon, carrots and onions (using the leftover mash)
Here they are in all their glory.’
Cook’s tip – use a vegetable peeler to rid the white flesh of its knobby skin and finish off with a knife.
Recipe #1 – Celeriac and Apple remoulade with toasted French bread a la baguette slices and salt-baked sardines
I first saw recipes for remoulade in the October edition of delicious. But that was after I bought the Celeriac…so I was in 7th heaven. Now while I love mustard, I’m careful with using it. I love it in a soup and sometimes in sarnies. Anyhow, the idea of adding apples to the original recipe was simple – I wanted sweet and crunch to balance the ‘tart’ and hot from the mustard and so I included them. I must confess that this is one of my favourite recipes, ever. Now while I’m using remoulade as the ‘descriptor’ for this salad, remoulade often appears as a condiment, as I saw in Copenhagen, last weekend. Whatever it is called, it is super delish….
Tips
You can make it ahead, in fact it tastes better made ahead
You can jazz it up – I’ve recently seen a recipe where it was served, wrapped in Parma ham!
You can eat it any time of day. So what’s not to heart?
Forgive the photos (late night, no Lowel Ego lights…yet….)
Ingredients
Serves 2 (or 4)
How to enjoy celeriac remoulade in 8 easy steps!
1. Put Lemon juice in a bowl
2. Peel the celeriac with a vegetable peeler or a knife. Do the same for the apples.
3. Wash and then slice both the celeriac and apples into thin slices. Cut each slice into matchsticks and toss in the lemon juice
4. Combine the mayonnaise, cream fraiche and mustard and add to the celeriac-apple mix
5. Season to taste
6. Serve right away if you like or leave to ‘bloom’ in the refrigerator for a few hours
7. Serve with sardines (from a tin) and slices of buttered and toasted baguette
8. Enjoy!
Recipe #2 – Celeriac mash with red wine poached pears and venison
I get addicted to things. Right now, it isn’t a very long list. Only 2 items: red wine poached pears and Turkish yoghurt with ginger jam and almonds. And a few other things but let this two reign supreme, for now…in my fickle stomach! The decision to serve the pears with venison was a no-brainer. I know poached pears and game are a perfect match. I needed a smooth, easy-flavoured ‘carb’ to go with both, one which would allow both shine – enter celeriac and potato mash. Nice and easy. No fuss, no stress, taste good.
I enjoyed the combination of celeriac and potato, especially because celeriac has a bit of a ‘light & watery’ taste on its own. Combining it with potato gives it some body and rounds off the taste nicely.
Ingredients
Serves 2 – 4
How to
1. Put potatoes in a pan, salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then turn down and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
2. Add celeriac cubes and let cook together till both are cooked. Test by poking with a sharp-tipped knife – it should slip through easily.
3. Drain water off and leave pan open for a couple of minutes to ‘air’, so the potatoes and celeriac dry a bit.
4. Using a ricer/masher, pass potato-celeriac through in small amounts, into a pan/bowl till you’re done.
5. Add butter and milk/cream to the mash and stir well together. Season to taste.
6. Serve with some red wine poached pears (which can be made days ahead), some quickly cooked venison steaks and a light onion jus.
7. So….you shouldn’t have leftover mash (because it is so yummy) but if you do…..worry not, recipe #3 will take care of that
Recipe #3 – Celeriac soup with bacon, carrots and onions (using the leftover mash)
Ingredients
Serves 2 – 4
How to
- Heat butter in a pan till melted.
- Add onion and carrots to the pan and fry for a couple of minutes, then add the bacon. Let cook together for 2-3 minutes, stirring well.
- Add the leftover mash, cream and water and bring up to a simmer. Stir well.
- Check for seasoning and when hot, ladle in to mugs/soup bowls.
- Warming and nutritious and perfect use for meal ‘remains’….especially with some bread!
Try celeriac, my food hero this season….you won’t regret it, except you hate it more than celery!!!!!
And just in case you’re wandering, the Christmas markets in Cologne were lovely – the 2 we visited. Sneak a preview now.
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This is one of our great discoveries this year too! We like them with our mashed potatoes.
The remoulade reminds me of an Alice Waters recipe I made once. Can’t wait to try the soup. It looks delicious!
Giao, enjoy it. I am looking forward to your version.
Conor, you’re welcome. Lowel Ego…..someday soon and glad you enjoyed the post
Elise. Apt words – ugly duckling…so many phrases to apply but you’re right it has a fantastic light flavour. Oh potage – I love to make one with yam and spinach!
Celeriac is a case of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. It’s probably one of the ugliest vegetables but it tastes so mild yet has a little bite. I like to make a potage with celeriac and spanish, very good!
Firstly, thanks for visiting my blog and I’m glad to have found yours!
Secondly, I love celeriac but know little about it, so this is a really useful post for me.
Thirdly, *sigh* about the lack of Lowel Ego lights. I’m wishing that a miraculous CHristmas miracle will somehow cause me to receive some, but I know that this definitely is not going to happen. Guess I just need to save my pennies!
i JUST was thinking of trying celeriac soup. now i have even more options. thank you thank you!
Kate and Trissa, the Cologne post is up…..enjoy!
Krista, thanks
Trisha, of course I believe. Can you believe that I’ve never cooked with figs or had POM juice :-)?
I have never had celeriac before…. can you believe it? Hmm maybe I have but just didn’t know it…. but the mash here looks soooo good!!!
Oh, I LOVE celeriac! I’ve never done anything with it except mashed with olive oil (YUMMM!), but these recipes look splendid. 🙂
I have to be honest celeriac looks so ugly but ohh so delicious! Thanks for sharing some of your recipes! By the way, am loving the pictures of Cologne!
Noobcook, Zurin, Shayma – Thanks and have a blessed holiday too. Give celeriac a try if you can, especially since you like celery!
Hungry neko, Marymoh (you said it right) – scary and grotesque…ugly on the outside but super beautiful and tasty on the inside!
Sarah…so move it from the back to the front when you do your ‘fridge shuffles 🙂
Little Teochew- thanks. Haute cuisine….wow
Heavenly housewife, you had me smiling with the last comment. Be assured you’re not the only one guilty of things going to waste!
Kate…thanks. So,more on Cologne in a few hours….Hope you get to go!
Kristen- sorry you didn’t get to go to the markets this year! At least you have celeriac close by….and don’t have to travel 🙂
Pixen – great tip, I will try it grated in my next round of experiments. Thank you
I love it! Even the smell of it made me hungry! 😀 My family usually grated thinly the celery root mixed with mayonaise. I haven’t try make into soup… will try it next time 🙂 Thank you for the recipe.
celeriac. That is something I just don’t eat enough of. Thanks for reminding me! Your pics are lovely and are making me real sad that we did not make it to Germany this year for Christmas. I miss the markets.
Wow, I love the what you’ve done with the celariac! One time I was given one, I had no idea what to do with it. It got old and died. Bad housewife, bad!
The day I discovered celeriac was a happy day. I’m a big fan of half-n-half potato and celeriac mash with some wholegrain mustard and capers – though now I see that I am going to have to try that remoulade – seems reminiscent of a waldorf salad, which is another thing I love!
Oh la la! You turned a humble veggie into haute cuisine! I love celery, but I have never tried celeriac!
Celeriac actually look so ugly but I read a lot about its goodness. Shouldn’t judge it by its look, right? I have to give it a try one of these day.
Well, now, it just so happens that I have 3/4 of a celeriac root in my fridge. And some apples and mayo and mustard. Hmmm…what to have for lunch? Thanks for the recipes!
I’m dying to hear about the Cologne markets. We didn’t get there this year–the weather has been horrible ever since they opened. I’m hoping to get there late this week or maybe next week. I think they’re open till New years?
Welcome home.
Celeriac are so ugly and whenever I buy one it seems to sit in the fridge forever. Yet I love celeriac remoulade and always buy this in French supermarkets. I ought to give it a fair chance really.
I wonder if I’d like celeriac (or even find it at the store)…it looks so scary lol. But great recipes to get us exploring!
Ozoz, I came to your page to wish you a lovely, beautiful Xmas and New Year’s. I am off on hol and wanted to wish you. The photos are beautiful, as always, but I will honestly say I could not give this post the time it deserves as I am in bed now, tired after packing all day. 🙂 Shall catch up on all the posts when I am back in Jan, as we say in Pakistan, inshallah. xx
I havent tried celeriac altho I love celery. its interesting how you have so many ways to prepare it in one post.Love the photos!
Here’s wishing you a very merry Christmas to you and your family Ozoz! have a wonderful time. :))
I love celery but I haven’t tried celeriac b4 … wonder if I’ll like it. Your soup looks good!