WASTE NOT, WANT IT
Make a celeriac salad; use the leftovers for hummus and pesto
ROASTED CELERIAC WITH KALE, CHESTNUTS AND PICKLED BLACKBERRIES
INGREDIENTS
1 small (or half a large) celeriac (approx 450g)
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
•6 sprigs of thyme
• salt and pepper
• 50g cooked chestnuts
• 175g kale, washed and stalks finely chopped
For the pickled blackberries: (enough for both recipes) 100ml cider or white wine vinegar
• 50ml water
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
•1 cinnamon stick
• 75g caster sugar
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• zest of ½ lemon
• 250g blackberries
For the croutons:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 100g sourdough (it’s better stale), in 1cm chunks
• salt and pepper METHOD
1 | Stir all the pickling ingredients (minus the blackberries) in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Increase the heat, bring to the boil, then turn it down to a rolling boil for 5-10 mins until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat to cool for a few mins.
2 | Put the berries in a heatproof dish (or a sterilised 500ml Kilner jar if you’re making them in advance). Pour over the hot liquid (and seal the jar if making ahead). Leave to cool before using. They’ll keep in the fridge for a fortnight, but are best served at room temp.
3 | Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the celeriac and garlic cloves in a roasting tin and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Add the thyme and season well. Roast for 25 mins, remove from the oven, crumble the chestnuts over the top, then return to the oven for 5-10 mins to get a little colour on your nuts (oh, behave).
4 | Meanwhile, make your croutons. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Chuck in the thyme and stir for 1 min, or until fragrant. Toss the bread to coat it in the oil and sauté for a few mins, until crisp.
5 | Tip the croutons into a paper-lined dish to soak up any excess oil, discard the thyme and season. Steam the kale for 5 mins then make a vinaigrette. Squeeze the cooked garlic into a bowl and whisk in 3 tbsp of the pickling juices and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
6 | Toss the kale in the vinaigrette and serve with the celeriac, chestnuts, croutons and two thirds of the blackberries.
CELERIAC ‘HUMMUS’ WITH KALE AND CHESTNUT PESTO
INGREDIENTS
6 slices of sourdough
• remainder of the pickled blackberries
(see opposite)
For the hummus:
1 small (or half a large) celeriac
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper
For the kale and chestnut pesto:
50g cooked chestnuts
• 75g kale, washed thoroughly
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 30g Parmesan, finely grated
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt and pepper METHOD
1 | Scrub the celeriac thoroughly – there’s no need to peel it, but do trim off and discard any beardy bits that haven’t come off in the wash. Chop the celeriac into chunks and boil in salted water for 10-15 mins, or until soft.
2 | Stick the cooked celeriac in a blender with the remaining hummus ingredients and blitz to a purée. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
3 | Next, make the pesto: very lightly toast the chestnuts – you don’t want them to go too dark or the pesto won’t be creamy. Blitz all the pesto ingredients together in a food processor and taste for seasoning; adjust if needed. Alternatively, pound everything into a rough paste with a pestle and mortar. You won’t need all of the pesto, so the rest can be tossed through spaghetti on another night.
4 | Toast the bread, top with the celeriac hummus, drizzle with 1-2 tsp pesto per piece of toast, and scatter over a few pickled blackberries, or just set everything out and let people help themselves. Seasonal eating, nailed.