What to do with celery root?

[XeniA]

I see it everywhere and yet I've never even tried it. Any favorite ways of fixing it that anyone could share?

 

[Ishbel]

Is that the same as celeriac?

If so, celeriac remoulade is good (although more of a summery thing to my taste)

 

[XeniA]

Is that the same as celeriac?

If so, celeriac remoulade is good (although more of a summery thing to my taste)

I'm pretty sure it is. This is what I'm thinking of:

 

[XeniA]

Ishbel, does it taste like celery? Does one eat it like celery, meaning, raw or cooked?

 

[BreezyCooking]

It does taste like celery, although in my opinion, a lot milder. You can eat it both raw &/or cooked.

To enjoy it raw in salads or, as Ishbel mentioned, in the classic "Celeriac Remoulade" (which is really just raw celeriac tossed with remoulade sauce - or russian salad dressing in a pinch - lol!) you really do need to peel & slice it into julienne matchsticks, because it can be a bit fibrous.

For cooked dishes, while you still need to peel it, you can use it the same way in which you'd use other root vegetables - gratins, mashed, purees, etc.

 

[Harborwitch]

We adore celery root mashed with potatoes. Cut the peeled celery root into large dice and cook until tender. Remove it from the water and put potatoes into the same water and cook until they're tender. Drain and add to the celery root and mash as usual.

It's a tradition at our holiday dinners now.

 

[Ishbel]

Yes, I like it in mashed potatoes. I add it to casseroles and salads. It is a very versatile veg. I also use it to make game chips for serving with venison or pheasant or grouse.

 

[auntieshelly]

I peel and dice (about 1") the celey root and then simmer in salted water until tender. Drain and toss with butter or olive oil, fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Delicious as a side dish.
Here is a more involved way of cooking the celery root. Peel and cut slices about 1/2" inch thick. Simmer in salted water until tender. Drain and cool. Dip the slices in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs (seasoned or not, your choice). You may then place them on a parchment lined pan and bake in a 350º oven until golden brown or you may saute the slices in olive oil until they are browned. Good with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice or a dab or two of tartar sauce.

 

[Hades]

Apart from the uses already mentioned, it's also very tasty raw.
Shred it like you would shred carrots, give it a good sprinkle of lemon juice (obligatory!! as it turns brown very quickly when exposed to air) and mix (on itself or with shredded carrots) with a few tbspoons of mayo and a bit of p&s. It's an excellent side dish with grilled steak and fries. It also works great as a sandwich spread.

 

[XeniA]

Thank you everybody!! A number of great tips!

I'll pick one up next time I go to the market and I'll try several of the ways suggested.

Where've I been all these years that I missed this veg?!

 

[Ishbel]

I often use it as an ingredient in a winter supper gratin dish, or as a side dish with steak or lamb chops.

Gratin with celeriac

1kg root vegetables (celeriac, potato and swede are a good combination), peeled and thinly sliced
Butter for greasing
1 large onion, sliced
125g goat's cheese or any other cheese you fancy, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
142ml pot double cream
150ml milk
15g butter
Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to gas mk 4/180°C. Layer the root vegetables in a 1.75 litre buttered gratin dish with the onion cheese, seasoning each layer as you go. Finish with a scattering of the cheese.

Mix together the cream and milk and pour over. Dot with the butter and sprinkle with nutmeg. Cook for until the vegetables are tender when pierced (up to an hour, depending on the vegetables used) and the top is bubbling and golden.

 

[XeniA]

Yum!

Swede is rutabega by another name, right?

Moot point. Can't get it here anyways

 

[Ishbel]

Yes, but you could use small turnips or something like kohl rabi, or even mundane carrots!

 

[Half Baked]

Sharon, why can't they be boiled together? Does one take longer than other to cook? I've never worked with it before. How long should diced Celriac take to cook?

Isbel, the casserole sounds delicious even though I've never had celeriac.

 

[mitmondol]

Peel and cut slices about 1/2" inch thick. Simmer in salted water until tender. Drain and cool. Dip the slices in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs (seasoned or not, your choice). You may then place them on a parchment lined pan and bake in a 350º oven until golden brown or you may saute the slices in olive oil until they are browned. Good with a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice or a dab or two of tartar sauce.[/quote]

I make something similar.
Cut the celeriac into "French fries", blanch them briefly, then bread and fry them.
Usually serve these with salsa in place of chips and can never make enough.

 

[lulu]

That gratin looks great Ishbel! I love prepared celeriac from jars in salads and sandwiches too. I have posted it somewhere else but its great mashed with chickeas and put over a spiced and jazzed up minced lamb to make a morrocan inspried shepard's pie (my sister's recipe!)

 

[Half Baked]

Whelp, celeriac is on my list!

But I'm not going to the store again until I make up some menus. I've just been buying willy nilly and have a freezer and pantry filled with this and that.

I need to go through both freezers and see what's there. I just cleaned out the pantry so I did some tossing and reorganizing. I actually know where everything is located.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

when cooked, it is somewhat like celery in flavor, but sa stated in previous posts, milder in flavor, and slightly sweet. Think of a mild turnip with a bit of celery. It can be used in slaws as well as the other recipes already given. I like to add it to a brothy potato beef soup with chunks of beef, potatoes, carrot, celery root, onions, and garlic. You can also add dried tomatoes to this soup. Season with S & P.

Celery root is also very good in New England Boiled Dinner and makes a great substitue for rutabegga or a partner for the same veggie.

Try it. You will find a thousand ways to use it.

Seeeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Harborwitch]

We tried cooking them together - but the celery root seemed to take longer to cook. It is such a fantastic veggie. I don't think I ever had it until a few years ago, right around the time I discovered parsnips Madly in love with all those root veggies. One of our friends always brings "nips" (mashed turnips) to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I'm so glad it's fall!!!!!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

We tried cooking them together - but the celery root seemed to take longer to cook. It is such a fantastic veggie. I don't think I ever had it until a few years ago, right around the time I discovered parsnips Madly in love with all those root veggies. One of our friends always brings "nips" (mashed turnips) to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. I'm so glad it's fall!!!!!

For me, it's not Thanksgiving without smashed rutabeggas (very similar to turnips) with butter and a bit of mollases and Splenda mixed in. Unfortunately, I love the root veggies more than they love me. They are very high in carbs. But if they are root veggies with a bunch of fiber, then it's all good.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North