Celery Root: Ugly vegetable has a lot to love
Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 15:29 File this under: ‘Looks aren’t everything.’ I’ve skirted the issue of what to do with one of those big knobby, ugly looking, troll-like celery roots for far too long. Yesterday was the time to dive into one of these big bad boys to see and taste what it’s all about. Amazing! I was making a celery root and new potato puree for a dinner party that evening, and as I was finishing up, I took a spoonful in for Mr. Maven to try. He’d been teasing me about how a root that ugly couldn’t possibly taste good.
“Here try this. I think you’re gonna be surprised.”
“Uh? That rooty thing, right?”
“Shut up and taste.”
A look of surprise washed across Mr. Maven’s face.
“Ummmm. Hey, that’s pretty good!”
Later that evening, after the guests were gone and we were cleaning up, he remarked how much he really like the celery root “stuff” and that I could make that again. That’s high praise indeed from Mr. “We didn’t have that in New Hampshire when I was a kid.”
If you are looking for something truly satisfying and tasty - that’s low, really low, on the calorie and glycemic index - then get past your preconceptions about celery root right now. Go down to the market and buy one.
Today. As in NOW.
You can find celery root - AKA celeriac, turnip rooted celery, celery knob - in most markets these days. And yes, you have to really rinse it well. A lot of grit can get caught up around those roots. Unlike potatoes, celery root is only about 5-6% starch by weight. A potato contains up to 13% by cooking. And unlike potatoes, celeriac can be eaten raw - like in salads or as a crudities. And it’s great as a soup, or addition to stews or pot roasts with other root vegetables.
Don’t be put off by the idea of preparing the vegetable. It’s actually easy. Simply lop off the tops - which you can save and use as celery - and with a sharp knife, pare off the brown parts. Toss them into your slop bucket for the compost heap.
You’re left with a nice white bulb that can be sliced, diced, julienned, mashed and used pretty much however you’d use potatoes or turnips.
A funny thing about boiling white vegetables like celery root. They can turn brownish in the cooking. There’s a simple answer to that, too. Pour a couple cups of milk into your boiling water, with a squeeze of lemon. No salt. Not yet.
Put your cut up celery root, with some tiny white potatos if you wish, into the water/milk and boil gently until ‘fork very tender’ and ready for mashing. Drain and put into a heavy bowl or casserole to mash. Then add back in some of the milk/water, with some butter, salt and pepper to taste. I splashed in some extra milk and a dash of Italian seasoning. Hey, this vegetable doesn’t come pre-seasoned.
Eat like Mashed Potatoes.
Celery root is a long time favorite winter vegetable in Europe, particularly in France. A mild blend of both celery and parsley in flavor, it can also be cut into wedges and fried or baked. I’m thinking of doing celery root, green apple and onion hash browns with a bit of Irish bacon and buttered carrots for supper tomorrow night.
I’d also like to try it the classic French way as a salad, with match stick thin strips of celeriac, maybe some julienned carrot, dressed in a light dressing of mayonnaise, a dash of Dijon mustard, chopped cornichon pickles, flat leaf parsely and anchovies. Yeah, I know. It’s the anchovies, right? Quit laughing.
Step out of your rut with this admittedly ugly vegetable and be really surprised and pleased.
-maven
