RACHEL ALLEN

Every week, only in LIFE

Celeriac has a thick, gnarled armour that totally belies the sweet, tender flavour of this most delicious root vegetable. Sometimes called celery root, celeriac is actually a member of the celery family, though it’s grown for its large root rather than the stems. It’s a very economical ingredient to buy, and because of its thick skin it will keep, stored somewhere cool, for two or three months. Despite this, celeriac is one root veggie that still seems to be underrated, even though it’s one of the most versatile.

Celeriac makes a fantastic soup, and is partnered in the recipe, right, with one of its favourite accompaniments — hazelnuts — for some added je ne sais quoi and crunch.

Whether roasted, pureed or mashed, celeriac goes particularly well with all meats. After the photograph, above right, had been taken, I enjoyed this delicious cheesy celeriac gratin with a roast chicken!

Once I’ve peeled a celeriac and cut it into chunks, I love to roast it with olive oil, sprigs of thyme, a good scattering of sea salt flakes and coarsely cracked pepper. It’s great as an accompaniment to fish or meat, but super as part of a quinoa salad, too.

Just because celeriac can be cooked in any way, don’t forget that it’s also delicious raw — grated or finely sliced, in salads or in the classic celeriac remoulade, which the French adore with pates and terrines. Tasting a little like coleslaw, celeriac remoulade also goes beautifully with game and smoked fish. After you peel the celeriac, just grate it or cut it into matchsticks, then mix them with mayonnaise, lemon juice and oodles of Dijon mustard.