Celery Root. Celeriac. Hum, just don't know where to begin with you. I just sit here staring at you and....nothing. Awfully American of me I suppose. Not only do we Yanks want you to taste good, but gosh darn it, you better have some good looks that indicate such. But you? You, you, you just don't send off that 'good looks, equals good taste' signal with your, how shall I say, your, not so appealing looks. Sorry.
Clearly the French don't judge taste 'by the cover' as they are big big fans of celeriac. I mean, can you walk into a bistro in France and not find celeri remoulade on the menu? Oui, I thought not.
Get past that brownish, gnarly exterior, I suggest a paring knife as opposed to a vegetable peeler, and underneath lies a smooth,milky-white, aromatic flesh. The smell and taste are refreshing, grassy, nutty, and kind of lemony all at once. And yes, as the name implies, a bit like celery. Celeriac loves to be paired with apples, parsley, potatoes, lemon, and what it does with cream? Heaven. It adds a great crunch to any salad or crudite platter. And cooked? Glazed, roasted, mashed, as a gratin, or added to soups and stews, on it's own, or with other root and Fall veg, delish.
For all you carb counters out there, celeriac, which is only about 5% starch, is a great stand in for the spud and is low cal, and high in fiber and vitamin K to boot. Right now (Fall) is the best time of year to enjoy celery root at it's peak. Look for firm and unblemished roots about the size of a baseball. Once peeled, you will loose about a quarter or the root so factor that in when cooking.
Though a huge fan of the celeri remoulade, the cooler days just say soup to me. As soup, celeriac cooks down into silky sublimeness in a bowl. And with truffle oil to boot? oh la la, say moi.
Celeriac & Potato Soup with Truffle Oil
(adapted from 'Jamie's Kitchen' by Jamie Oliver)
I medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of thyme, tied with a string (or sub 3/4 tablespoon dry thyme)
3 cups (just over a pound) celeriac, peeled and diced
3 cups potatoes (a floury not waxy variety), peeled and diced
2 pints chicken stock
7 tablespoons heavy cream (honestly this soup is great without it but go for it, who doesn't love a bit of cream?)
sea or kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
4 tablespoons truffle oil (if you don't have, don't stress this soup can stand alone)
Optional garnish
(chopped parsley & celery leaves tossed with olive oil and lemon juice. sprinkle on soup just before serving)
In soup pot, saute onion in butter and olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent.
Add celeriac, potatoes, thyme and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 40 minutes, until the veg are tender. Add cream, if going there. Bring to a boil again, the remove bundle of thyme. Remove pot from stove top. Puree mixture, in batches, in a food processor or blender, or break out the 'boat motor' (aka handblender) and puree away.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add truffle oil a tablespoon at a time until desired flavor is reached (strength of flavor can vary depending on brand and whether using black or white truffle oil).
Divide among soup bowls and garnish with parsley-celery leaf salad.
moira@efete.net
Labels: celeriac, celery root, Chicago Famers Makets, Green City Market, root vegetables, seasonal organic produce
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