A winter favourite
Celeriac: flavourful, yet Underrated?
Wintery, knurled & knobbly, it might not win any beauty contests but what celeriac lacks in looks, it makes up in culinary dexterity! Celeriac, or celery root, is a kind of celery in the parsley family cultivated for its flavourful and nutritious qualities. Although it stands well on its own, I love it as a fresh canvas for stronger flavours like fresh green chilli & grated fresh turmeric root all simply oven roasted in olive oil. Add a sprinkling of a dark leafy greens like cavelo nero or kale.
Its subtle celery-like flavour, a hint of nutty overtones makes a welcomed change from stodgier winter roots. It also differs from most root vegetables in that it is not very starchy and is low in carbs and calories. With less than half the calories of mature white potatoes, celeriac can be used as a substitute for those being mindful of their energy balance. It is high in vitamin C, Vitamin K, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B6, magnesium and manganese. But what really attracts me to celeriac is that its high in dietary fibre which we now know is an essential component of a healthy diet, reducing the risk of developing lifestyle related disease such as diabetes, heart disease & arthritis. In fact, the scientific evidence supporting the benefits of adding fiber to your diet extends to lowering all-cause mortality. Fibre not only helps our digestive tract stay in good working order but it also exerts a beneficial effect on the immune system indirectly by feeding the billions of microbes in our guts, cultivating a healthy microbiome. Keeping those gut bugs happy means they earn their keep, producing their own pharmucopia of bioactive chemicals called postbiotics which changes the personality of our immune cells towards that of a regulatory phenotype, reducing the burden of systemic inflammation, promoting faster healing and quicker recovery from infection.
The Ingredients
1 x Fresh whole organic celeriac, choose one not too massive and without soft sport
Organic fresh green chilli - as hot as you like
2 x stalks of organic cavelo nero
1 x Organic turmeric root
Sea salt
Black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Technique
Preheat oven to 200oC
Remove the wrinkled outer skin. Once cut it can turn brown so move quickly or put it in acidulated water to keep it creamy white.
Roughly cut the celeriac into 2-1cm cubes
Place cubes in a roasting pan & drizzle them with the olive oil
Grate fresh turmeric root & chop chilli and cavelo nero small then sprinkle onto the celeriac cubes
Add a generous seasoning with salt & peppet
Mix well & roast in the hot oven until you can easily insert a knife into the celeriac
Place on a serving dish, garnish with the chilli, coriander and squeeze the lime juice on top. Serve hot or at room temperature