IN SEASON
UK SEASON OCTOBER – APRIL
vegetable. Tat said, it’s an unsung hero – versatile, delicious, easy to cook – and a go-to when you want the fresh flavour of celery along with the starchy comfort of potato. As the name suggests, celeriac is related to celery but grown for the root rather than the stem.
BUYING AND STORING
Choose firm heavy roots without blemishes. Store in a cool dark place for a week or more, wrapped in cling film, or, better still, a brown paper bag.
PREPARATION
Slice into quarters then trim away the skin and root. Cut the flesh into chunks or cubes as per your recipe. To prevent browning, dump in a bowl of water acidulated with lemon juice. If using celeriac raw in a salad, stir straight into the dressing.
32 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
Celeriac W
Christine McFadden, The Dorset Foodie, gives us the lowdown on celeriac as a seasonal vegetable:
ith its tangle of roots and pockmarked beige skin, celeriac isn’t the most attractive
COOKING
Celeriac is excellent steamed or boiled, then puréed with butter or cream, plus nutmeg and seasoning. Perfect with juicy sausages or fatty meat. Another option is to add a few chunks to a hearty beef or venison casserole. It adds texture and refreshing flavour. Celeriac makes a deeply satisfying soup too – top with a swirl of soured cream, fresh dill and a sprinkle of chopped toasted hazelnuts. Finely grated, the raw flesh is lovely added to winter salads or mixed with a mustardy mayonnaise to make celeriac rémoulade.
Roasted celeriac is another winner. Toss smallish chunks with olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and maybe some cumin or dill seeds. Spread out in a single layer in a shallow roasting tin. Roast at 200C/ gas mark 6 for about 30 mins until deliciously crisp around the edges.
PAIR CELERIAC WITH...
Apples, beef, cabbage, cumin, dill, duck, goose, ham, horseradish, lemon, mustard, nutmeg, sausages, venison.
CELERIAC, PLUM & BLACKBERRY SALAD
SERVES 4-6
1 firm celeriac, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
500g plums, halved and stoned
1 small handful of sage leaves A few sprigs of rosemary 100g blackberries Runny honey, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 6.
2 Place the celeriac chunks in a baking tray, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over 2 tbsp of the olive oil, making sure the celeriac is nicely coated.
3 Place the celeriac in the oven and roast for about 30 mins, then remove the tray from the oven and carefully arrange the plum halves in
and around the chunks. Tuck in the sage and rosemary, and trickle everything with the remaining olive oil.
4 Return the tray to the oven, and continue roasting for 15–20 mins, until the plums are lovely and soft, but still holding a little shape. Keep your eye on them as plums can cook at different rates depending on how ripe they are.
5 When you’re happy with how everything is looking, remove the tray from the oven and scatter over the blackberries. Taste the celeriac and plums, seasoning with salt and black pepper, and trickling over a little honey to sweeten, if necessary.
6 Transfer the salad to a bowl or platter and serve straight away.
Time: A Year and a Day in the Kitchen by Gill Meller, published by Quadrille
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