Celeriac has a delicious bulbous hypocotyl (the part beneath the stem and above the root). The celeriac is a medieval looking vegetable. Some celeriac are head sized, with their green ponytail of shoots. Sometimes called celery root or knob celery, celeriac can be eaten cooked or raw.
Celeriac has a long shelf life, but as it ages it hollows at its centre, so at the market, choose a celeriac that feels heavy for its size and has perky shoots. These shoots can also be eaten. They have a dainty celery flavour. The bulb can be eaten as mash, added cubed to stews or soups or used raw, in a slaw or a remoulade, as we have done. In soups and stews the celeriac holds its form and texture much better than say, a potato. Celeriac is an essential ingredient in a good vegetable stock.
To prepare, chop off the knobby outer of the root, dice, and as the flesh discolours quickly, if you’re not using the celeriac immediately, have an acidulated bowl of water ready.
A vegetable at its best in winter, it’s a good one to eat at this time of cross seasonality, before all the spring vegetables have come in. It can be a lean time at the market. Eaten raw it’s refreshing, perfect for a warmer day, and paired with smoked trout the remoulade makes for a wonderfully messy sandwich.
Celeriac remoulade
2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of grated horseradish or dijon mustard
200ml of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste
1 handful of parsley washed and dried
1 large celeriac
For the dressing:
Wipe the inside of a ceramic or stainless steel bowl with a cut lemon. Place the egg yolks in your bowl and whisk vigorously until they are well combined. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, horseradish and a dash of oil and whisk vigorously again. With one hand (it helps if you have the bowl in a stand or on a tea towel) very slowly drizzle the rest of the oil into the bowl, whisking the whole time with the other. You should start to see the yolks thicken and emulsify. If during this process you instead see the ingredients separating, stop adding oil and instead add an extra egg yolk already mixed with a teaspoon of lemon and a dash of oil, and then continue. The mixture should pale and get very thick. Add horseradish, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
For the remoulade:
Just before serving, julienne the celeriac (cut or process into matchstick size pieces) and place in a bowl tossing with the dressing you have made. Stir though the parsley.
Serve with smoked fish and potato with bread for sandwiches or as a side.
