Southern-style pulled celeriac burgers
SERVES 6-8 / PREPARATION 10 MINUTES / COOKING 2 HOURS
I think of celeriac as one of the most underrated winter vegetables with its delicate celery flavour and a light nuttiness. Its versatility makes it a valuable addition to a gratin, mashes, soups and of course raw in a remoulade. I’d been toying with the idea of treating a vegetable in southern barbecue style for a while, and while this version is cooked in the oven, there is no reason why you couldn’t do it in a barbecue. Be aware that many barbecue sauces often contain fish, so if you are vegetarian look out for a sauce that is suitable for you. I like to use a tangy, sweet and lightly smoked sauce here. 1 celeriac, peeled and cut into wedges 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon celery salt pinch chilli flakes
½ teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Lillies Smokey BBQ)
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Put the celeriac in a large bowl and toss with the Dijon mustard. Put into a baking dish. Combine the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, celery salt, chilli flakes, mustard powder and ground cumin and sprinkle over the celeriac. Bake for 30 minutes, then add half the barbecue sauce along with ½ cup water, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, shred with a couple of forks, add the remaining barbecue sauce along with ¼-½ cup water, cover with foil and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes until very tender. This will make a substantial amount which can be reheated gently with a little water added to the pan.
Make a slaw (I used finely shredded red cabbage, spring onions and carrot with mayonnaise) and put into sliders or burgers with some pulled celeriac and then serve with potato wedges.