Thursday, December 15, 2011

Celeriac - Celery root

I was perusing vegetables looking for something new and interesting the other day.  It's almost Christmas and fresh green vegetables are at a premium.  A root vegetable with the properties of a green vegetable would be a great addition. Celeriac is only about 6% starch and it has a celery taste, it might fit the bill so I bought the smallest one.

At home Fern said "What is that?"
"Celeriac, celery root. It's supposed to taste like celery"

Fern is a little leery of new foods as I tend to not know how to cook them first time round.  I read a bit about celeriac, cut the skin off, it's too difficult to peel, cook it like a potato.  I knew I had to pair it with something in some kind of sauce.

I decided to steam it with carrots and green peas.  When they were done I put the steamer in the sink and emptied the boiling water to use the pot for the sauce.  I made a little roux and added chicken stock and a little white wine, salt and pepper.  When I had a thick sauce I put the vegetables into the pot, tossed and plated.

It was good but Fern felt that since the celeriac is sweet, as are carrots and peas, the dish overall was too sweet. Next time I'll try something with a slightly bitter taste like chard and add a little lemon juice. Overall, celeriac is a welcome addition to our selection of fresh vegetables.

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