Celeriac- the cinderalla of vegetables

Photo: Marion van Dijk
It is hard to believe that something so gnarly looking can taste so good. Talk about being underrated. Celeriac has to be the ugly duckling of the vegetable world yet once prepared becomes a culinary swan.

It is a type of celery, as the name suggests, and in its growing phase it produces a fan of stalks and leaves similar to the celery plant; however it is the bulbous root of celeriac that is consumed.

The bulb normally grows between 10cm and 20cm in diameter and has a knobbly, warty exterior. The outer surface belies what you find inside. Peel off the skin and you find a white, slightly rubbery flesh (rather like parsnip) that is surprisingly low in starch content, about 5 per cent by weight. It is also low in calories and high in dietary fibre and contains Vitamin B6, C and K as well as potassium.

Celeriac is related to carrots, parsnips, anise and parsley and in fact tastes like a combination of celery and parsley with a hint of parsnip and anise as well.

It works well in dishes where you are looking for these aromatics and flavours. My NMIT chef colleague James Perry tells me that celeriac is delicious with truffles, or even truffle oil. So it partners well with earthy flavours.

It can be eaten either raw or cooked and is a common ingredient in the cuisine of Europe although not so familiar here. It is a feature right now on the supermarket shelf of Fresh Choice in Collingwood St, Nelson, or Richmond Fresh Choice, or available from the Nelson Saturday Market.

Organic grower Brent Ferretti of Grown in Hope supplies the Nelson region with his organic celeriac. For 18 years Brent has been a regular at the market and he likes to grow unusual vegetables to liven the imagination of our local population.

He says celeriac is available through the winter where many vegetables are scarce. His soil is so rich that celeriac grows boldly and reaches sizes much greater than the normal 10-20cm - a celeriac of 2kg is not uncommon. It retails for about $9 a kg.

You will usually see a 2kg celeriac cut in half so consumers can buy smaller quantities. I would say be bold and buy the whole thing. It will last in the fridge for several weeks and is extremely versatile in its uses.

To prepare the celeriac, first peel it (except when baking whole). Use a paring knife to get around the knobbly bits. A good tip is, prior to use, drop into some cold water with lemon juice to stop it from discolouring.
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Use celeriac in soups or stews, grate it in a salad and mix it with florence fennel. The two flavours are brilliant together.

It can be substituted for potatoes as french fries, it can be roasted like parsnips and alongside them as well. It can even be baked whole in its skin, before scooping out the flesh and enjoying it with butter and salt and pepper - a simple way to enjoy its rich taste.

My Swiss French chef friend Serge Crottaz introduced me to celeriac remoulade, a common dish from his homeland. Serge recently commented to me that when people try this celeriac dish they should try it just by itself, unadulterated - not as an adornment for another dish. He told me that when he first came to New Zealand he was surprised by how much we complicate our food and that we should enjoy simple dishes for what they are - so let me recommend that you try the following recipe in its virgin form.
Photo: Marion van Dijk
CELERIAC REMOULADE

1 egg

1 Tbsp vegetable oil (not olive oil as the taste is too strong try rice bran oil instead)

1 tsp French mustard

Another cup of the oil

Process the egg, mustard and tablespoon of oil until well combined then slowly add the cup of oil - very slowly at first, faster towards the end. Add the juice of a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. You can also make the mayonnaise by hand with a whisk. If you use this method use two egg yolks instead of a whole egg.

Then grate 500g of raw celeriac and toss through the mayonnaise. Serve on a brightly coloured plate.

CELERIAC MASH

500g of celeriac peeled and cut into chunks

Milk to cover the celeriac

2 bayleaves

2 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

Place the peeled and cubed celeriac in a pot and cover with milk. Add bay leaves and simmer until celeriac is tender - about 20-30 minutes. Pour off milk and reserve.

Mash the celeriac either by hand or in a food processor, using as much of the reserved milk as is required to make a smooth mash. Add butter, salt and pepper.

This mash can be served in any situation where you would have mashed potato. It is excellent with seafood and beef and lamb.

CELERIAC, PARSNIP, FENNEL, RED ONION AND POTATO SOUP500g of celeriac bulb

3 parsnips

1 fennel bulb

1 red onion

2 agria potatoes

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1 tsp fennel seeds

A handful italian parsley

Peel and chop all the vegetables. Heat the olive oil and toss in the fennel seeds and bay leaves, saute for a few minutes then add the vegetables and saute for about five minutes longer.

Pour in the stock and simmer, covered for about 30-40 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves. Puree the soup and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with chopped italian parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.