Japanese-style celeriac steak (wafu seroriakku suteki)
40 MINUTES | MAKES 3 STEAKS | EASY |
I am in two minds regarding the phenomenon of calling vegetables cut into large slabs and cooked in a pan, ‘steaks’. On the one hand, they’re not steaks. But on the other hand, who cares? So yes: two minds. But seriously, these pan-fried, slightly caramelised celeriac slabs, bathed in a sweet onion sauce and garnished with fried garlic, are so delicious that it doesn’t matter what you call them.
garlic 4 cloves, thinly sliced vegetable oil 2 tbsp celeriac 1, peeled and cut into 3 big slabs, about 21/2 cm thick black pepper to taste toasted sesame oil 1 tsp wafu dressing 180-200ml (see below) sesame seeds few pinches salad cress Ω punnet spring onions 2, finely sliced
WAFU DRESSING echalion shallot Ω, finely grated ginger Ω thumb-sized piece, finely grated soy sauce 100ml mirin 100ml rice vinegar 100ml toasted sesame oil 1 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tbsp
• For the wafu dressing, stir together all of the ingredients and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
• Put the garlic in a frying pan with the cold oil and set over a medium heat. Allow the garlic to slowly fry in the oil until just golden-brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Return the oil to the heat and turn the heat up to high, then lay the celeriac slabs in the oil and hit them with a few good grinds of black pepper. Cook on each side for 7-10 minutes or until nicely browned (and perhaps starting to blacken in places) and just cooked through, then drizzle over the sesame oil and the wafu dressing, and let them boil briefly. Remove from the heat, transfer the celeriac to a cutting board and slice it like a steak, then serve on warmed plates and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the sesame seeds, cress, spring onions and fried garlic.