Celeriac Roasted Whole – Rich Deep Flavor and Luxurious Texture with So Little Effort
Perhaps you’ve begun finding a strange vegetable in your winter CSA box. Something rather alien looking. Something you put into your vegetable drawer waiting for a hint of inspiration as to how to eat it, or perhaps who to give it to. If that alien vegetable looks anything like this photo, what you have dear friends is a celeriac, also known as celery root. And master chef Yotam Ottolenghi offers the perfect solution, Celeriac Roasted Whole with Coriander and Olive Oil.
Personally, I’ve made Celeriac Roasted Whole a meal in itself, serving it straight from the oven for dinner and from the fridge for lunch. Whether hot or cold the flavors are perfect together, the burst of flaky salt addictive, the oil flavorful. And the celeriac richly flavored and luxuriously tender. The celery flavor deeper and richer than you could ever imagine celery to be.
Root to stem
I think you will be amazed with just how tender and delicious the skin, with all its bumps and stems and roots, becomes after a long, slow roast in the oven.
Most recipes for celeriac advise cutting off and discarding a slice from both the root and the stem ends. And then using a knife to cut off and discard the peel. However, celeriac roasted whole means just that. Scrub the celeriac well, but don’t peel it and don’t remove that slice from the two ends. One caveat. Sometimes there are a lot of hairy roots—Ottolenghi suggests cutting them away. If you do so, freeze them to include in your next batch of stock.
Celeriac and celery are cousins
Coming from the same plant family, celeriac and celery share somewhat similar flavor and fragrance. However, celeriac has a deeper, richer flavor, especially after being slow roasted.
Although the common name for celeriac is celery root, it is a distinct plant of its own, rather than the root of conventional celery. Available in the fall and winter months, celeriac is cultivated to grow a large, round dense root underground. Conventional celery is available year round. It has been cultivated to grow tall, compact stalks above ground.
Celeriac Roasted Whole with Coriander and Olive Oil
Thank you, Yotam Ottolenghi for another highly creative and excellent recipe, which I have only very slightly adapted. Vegan and naturally gluten-free.
Serve Celeriac Roasted Whole as a meal in itself. Serve it straight from the oven for dinner and from the fridge for lunch. It would also make a great appetizer or side vegetable as well. Perfect for holiday entertaining.
Roasting times will vary. A larger, 2 ½ pound celeriac may take 3 hours to roast; a one pound celeriac 1 ¾ to 2 hours.
Makes 4 servings Printer-Friendly Recipe
Active time 15 minutes
Total time 2 ½ hours
Ingredients
One 1 ½ pound celeriac, washed and scrubbed well
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 ½ teaspoons flaky salt, such as Maldon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 335 degrees.
- Use the tip of a paring knife to poke the celeriac about 20 times. Transfer the celeriac to a baking dish.
- Lightly crush the coriander seeds. Mix them with the flaky salt.
- Rub the olive oil all over the celeriac to completely cover it. Then press the coriander salt mixture onto the oil.
- Roast for 2 hours 15 minutes until the celeriac is golden brown and soft all the way to its core.
- Just out of the oven, cut Celeriac Roasted Whole with Coriander and Olive Oil into wedges. Serve them with a wedge of lemon and a drizzle of any oil or spices left in the baking dish.