Spicy Beans with Mashed Celeriac | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why do chefs use celeriac? ›

Because celeriac is actually pretty special. Raw, celeriac has fantastic crunch and a super nutty, celery-like flavour that makes it perfect for salads and slaws.

The unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly, odd-shaped celeriac has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones. Try it as mash, in big-flavoured, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form, and as they do in France, as a remoulade.

What does celeriac taste like? Celeriac has a mild celery flavor with a refreshing crunch and a little bitterness when raw, and a subtle undertone of sweetness when cooked. If you like radishes and turnips, you will love celeriac raw, and if you enjoy potatoes, you will like the cooked version.

Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan. Add the onion and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until just starting to brown. Add the celeriac and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to colour. Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper.

Celeriac can also serve as an alternative to potatoes for people who are trying to reduce their calorie or carbohydrate intake. According to the USDA, one cup of boiled celeriac pieces contains 42 calories and 9.14 g of carbohydrate. The same amount of boiled potatoes provides 134 calories and 31.2 g of carbohydrate.

Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), also called celery root, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery (although it is not a close relative of the turnip), is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and shoots.

Celery root offers a perfect combo of light, slightly herbaceous celery flavor matched with the classic sweetness characteristic of root vegetables, and a bit of peppery bite similar to turnips. The texture is similar to a rutabaga or kohlrabi, which allows you to enjoy it cooked or sliced very thinly raw.

Although it might not be the most attractive veg in the world, celeriac more than makes up in taste what it lacks in appearances. It's a root veg that's hearty and substantial, and makes a brilliant choice for vegetarian comfort food. Try it mashed, chopped and roasted until sticky, or even roast whole.

Vanilla – Roasted Aromas

Cooking celeriac brings out its vanilla and roasted notes. Try serving it with coconut, cake, asparagus, Bayonne ham, crawfish, soy sauce and douchi or Chinese fermented black beans, and you'll see just what we mean.

Celeriac – growing wild thousands of years ago around the Mediterranean as celery, it was used as a laxative and diuretic, to dissolve gallstones and sooth the nerves.

Can you eat too much celeriac? ›

Celeriac is a rich source of vitamin K which, along with phosphorus, is important for healthy bones and may also have anticancer properties. A word of warning – vitamin K can affect blood clotting so people taking blood-thinning medication should avoid eating too much of it.

Check the condition of the skin and the feel of the celeriac. If the celery root has become slimy, soft, or it's starting to mold, it's time to let it go. A bad smell can also be an indicator that the celeriac has gone bad. And of course, if you see an unusual amount of dark spots, it's probably best to toss it away.

Even better, it is really good for you. About half the calories and carbs of potato, with great fiber, it is also a good source of vitamins and mineral, including Vitamin B and iron and calcium.

Keep an eye on your celeriac steaks in the final 10 minutes of roasting - they can turn from golden brown to overcooked in the blink of an eye! Serve with butter bean mash, vegan gravy and steamed greens.

You can harvest celeriac from October through to the following March. Carefully ease individual plants out of the soil with a fork. Celeriac is hardy and can usually be left in the ground until required. It develops a stronger flavour over time.

Though their flavors are similar, celery and celeriac are not interchangeable. Celeriac is much nuttier and earthier than celery stalks. It also has a much lower water content ratio. This gives it a dense, potato-like texture and consistency, making it perfect for purees, mashing, and roasting.

Celeriac contains several nutrients, including vitamins C and K, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Celeriac is high in fiber, which may improve digestive and heart health. Celeriac can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. Try adding cooked celeriac to your favorite soups, stews, or sauces.

Where celery can have a strong sharpness to it, celeriac has an intense celery flavor, but without the bite that celery often has, especially the darker stalks. “Earthiness” is another adjective I hear used about celeriac, but not celery.

Celery and celeriac are basically the same plant, Apium graveolens, with celeriac being a variety cultivated for its root rather than for its stalks (var. rapaceum). They both have the taste of celery, although many people find celeriac to be earthier and more intense.