Celeriac

Celeriac or celery root is a variety of celery grown for its large root, rather than the stem and leaves. It is believed to originate from the Mediterranean and was used during the Italian Renaissance. Today it remains a well-known vegetable in Europe but is less popular in North America, probably because of its unattractiveness. However, beneath the rough and thick skin, celeriac holds a crisp, smooth, cream coloured flesh that has a very distinctive, yet mild celery flavour.

Choosing

It is sometimes possible to buy celeriac with the coarse green stem and leaves. Neither stems nor leaves could be eaten raw, but both can add a nice flavour to vegetable soups or stews.

Once cut and rinsed, a celeriac stem can serve as a straw with vegetable juices or bloody Mary cocktails. As the juice passes through the stalk it gets a fresh celery flavour.

When buying celeriac look for medium-sized bulbs. Big celeriacs tend to be rough and woody, whereas small bulbs end up having more waste (skin) than flesh. Make sure that the vegetable is free of blemishes, yellow spots, cracks, soft spots, and roots.

Cooking

Celeriac could be eaten raw or cooked. When serving the vegetable raw, wash the bulb and peel off the skin. Use the sharp knife instead of a peeler if the skin is too rough. Exposed white flesh will turn dark so make sure to sprinkle lemon juice or vinegar on the vegetable. Raw celeriac could be served sliced with a dip, shredded, julienned or cubed in salads.

Celeriac can not be frozen raw.

When serving cooked celeriac simply wash the bulb thoroughly and boil it. This way you can peel the skin off the vegetable effortlessly. Celeriac is great in soups, mashed on its own or with other root vegetables, stewed, baked in casseroles and gratins. Strips of it can also be stir-fried.

Celeriac normally keeps for a month when stored in the fridge and not allowed to dry out.

Celeriac is a great source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.

Fun facts:

• celeriac is also known as turnip rooted celery and knob celery
• unlike other root vegetables, celeriac has very little starch (5-6% by weight)
• “Prinz”, “Diamant”, “Ibis” are only few of the cultivated varieties of celeriac
• Celery salt is extracted from dried pulverized celeriac. It is used in salt-free diets as well as in condiments.

Text: Anya Sokolovskaya
Photography: Eric Gloutnay