CELERIAC

Celeriac is also known as turnip-rooted celery as it looks like a knobbly turnip with celery type foliage. To quote 'Green Cuisine', "It is ugly and knobbly and usually very dirty but tastes delicious". The swollen root is eaten and it has a light celery-like flavour. Celeriac makes a good vegetable dish and is also suitable for soups and stews. Used raw it should be peeled, grated and served with mayonnaise, or added to a winter salad. Made into a puree it can be mixed with mashed potato. Thin slices of potato and celeriac cooked au gratin with cream is a popular way of serving this vegetable.

Preparation: Remove all external fibres and roots, cutting deep to remove rather course bottom flesh.

Cooked Celeriac in Chive & Parsley Sauce

Wash and peel two large roots and cut into cubes. Cook until tender in a little vegetable stock, adding a knob of butter, salt, chopped chives and parsley. Remove celeriac from stock, add some cream to thicken the sauce. Place celeriac in a warm dish and pour the sauce over them.

Roasted Celeriac (courtesy of 'Green Cuisine')

• 1 ½ lb celeriac (750g)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Peel celeriac, chop into 1 inch chunks and place in a large roasting tray. Add the crushed garlic, thyme and oil. Season with salt & pepper. Stir well to mix. Roast at 200C (400F), Mark 6 for 30-40 minutes.

---