The deliciously ugly celeriac

Perhaps the ‘ugly’ label is a bit harsh, but it certainly isn’t going to win a beauty contest in a line up with the more conventional root veg.  The celeriac does not have the vibrancy of beetroot, the neatness of a leek or even the smooth skin of a plain potato.  Celeriacs are melon-sized brutes with tough, gnarly skin and a stubble of spindly hair at their base for roots.  They are notoriously difficult for farmers to harvest and clean because of the mud that clings to them as they are pulled out of the ground.  But cut away the hard, rough exterior and you are left with a highly versatile and underrated ingredient. 

Celariac can be eaten fresh and raw (shredded or julienned) to add crunch and a herbaceous kick to a salad or remoulade.  It can be roasted or fried to bring out its natural sugars – caramelising and giving off nutty aromas.  It can also be mashed or pureed to give a creamy, earthy dimension to a dish.  Overall, it is a cost effective and nourishing  ingredient that lends itself to culinary experimentation – as  evidenced by Jane’s expert demonstration of salt baked celeriac in this month’s video. 

Celeriac also has a plethora of health benefits for those studiously subscribing to Veganuary. Think fewer carbs than potato, more iron than broccoli and a ton of vitamins & minerals.  But if you’re like me you could decide to undo all those health benefits by slowly frying cubes of celeriac in lashings of butter until the cubes are soft, sweetened and saturated.

Incredibly comforting and by far my favorite way to eat this month’s star ingredient.  But I recognise this is not what more virtuous members of the school would consider appropriate January fare after all the indulgence of the festive period…  Each to their own I suppose!

Read the recipes

• Salt baked celeriac with mushroom foam, a smoked emulsion, almond migas and pickled girolles