SMOKED WHOLE CELERIAC
One to start before the guests arrive, long, slow cooking creates a meltingly tender centre, while the skin becomes deliciously crisp and not unlike a roast potato. Serve with grilled or roasted mains.
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
1 whole celeriac, about 750-800g (trimmed weight)
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and roughly ground
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper You also need 3 metal skewers
Preheat your barbecue ready for indirect grilling. Once it is up to temperature, add a few smoking wood chunks to the fire. Give the celeriac a good scrub under running water, paying particular attention to the root area. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom and use a sharp knife to carefully slash a few cuts really deep into the flesh on both sides to allow the oil to penetrate into the vegetable as it cooks. Carefully spike the metal skewers through the centre of the celeriac, piercing it all the way through and out the other side. They will help transfer the barbecue’s heat deep into the celeriac to speed up cooking.
Take a double square of foil and set the skewered celeriac in the centre. Scrunch up the sides to form a shallow ‘dish’ that will catch the coriander oil as you baste it over the celeriac. Rest the celeriac on the opposite side of the barbecue to the fire.
3. Tip the crushed coriander seeds and olive oil into a small barbecueproof pan, along with a good grind of salt and pepper. Rest the pan next to the celeriac, away from the fire, and brush a little oil over the top, then shut the barbecue lid. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid, baste a bit more oil all over the celeriac and add a little more charcoal and smoking wood to keep the fire gently smouldering. Leave the celeriac to cook for a good 3½-4 hours, until really tender.
4. Place the celeriac in the centre of a serving dish and pour over any coriander oil from the cooking foil.
Slice into wedges to serve.
Recipe from ‘Charred’ by Genevieve Taylor (£16.99, Quadrille)