Sunday, 16 January 2011

Ugly duckling…

Abel and Cole introduced me to celeriac last year when it turned up in one of my vegetable boxes and it has now become one of my favourite winter vegetables.

 

Celeriac

 

It is probably the ugliest of vegetables but looks can be deceiving.  I have tried it mashed but wasn’t that keen and I have also grated it raw into a coleslaw, which was very nice.  But my favourite way to cook it is as a creamy, garlicky dauphinois.

 

Celeriac being sliced

 

Having peeled it, I use my mandolin to slice it finely.

 

Celeriac sliced

 

Then I layer it in a shallow dish, sprinkling it liberally with garlic and salt and pepper between the layers. 

 

Celeriac garlic

 

Lazily, I like to use this chopped garlic.

 

Celeriac into oven

 

Then I add the cream and milk mixture, dot with some butter and grated nutmeg and cook it slowly for 1 1/2 hours.  I use this Delia recipe, substituting the potato.

 

Celeriac dauphinoise

 

It is transformed into a true swan of a vegetable dish and it is just delicious with roast lamb.

For pudding, I made Petit Filoux’s mincemeat strudel with the leftover mincemeat from Christmas.  It too, was delicious.  Another Sunday passes with food being the main theme to the day.

10 comments:

  1. Mmmmm.

    Foolishly I tried Tall Small on mashed celeriac as one of her first weaning foods. That went down like the proverbial lead balloon.

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  2. I have two celeriac still in the ground having been given them by my mum but we have never known what to do with them, now I do, your recipe sounds delicious!
    thanks
    love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  3. When that first photo popped up on my reader, I thought it was a brain and that I was going to have to turn my delicate vegetarian eyes away. But you reeled me back in with the garlic part. Looks delish! Be right over.

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  4. Love celeriac too - though am trying to be very good about all things calorific at the mo so the dauphinoise bit is slightly out of bounds just now...

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  5. Loved this. I wrote about the celebrated celeriac this week and have bought seeds to grow some this year.
    Liz

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  6. oooh that looks good. I've only ever added celeriac to vegetable soup but I will give this a go - sounds delicious!

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  7. Yum! Another of my favourite vegetables.

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  8. Lovely... I'd forgetten how good it is as a Dauphinois.

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  9. Glad you liked the pudding! I must say I never buy celeriac these days but I should really because I love celeri remoulade, some sort of French coleslaw really. But a gratin dauphinois? Now that's genius!!

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  10. Oooh I love celeriac, too. Must try it this way. K x

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