CELERIAC	VEGETABLES - KNOW YOUR VEG

With the flavour of celery and the appearance of a rough, creamy brown turnip, celeriac is a root vegetable. It has a dense texture similar to turnip or potato when cooked and is also known as turnip-rooted celery or knob celery. Buy small to medium firm bulbs that feel heavy for their size, larger bulbs are likely to be woody. If possible choose ones that have a smoother outside to avoid excess wastage when peeling.

How To Use Celeriac

Celeriac can be served blanched for salads or cooked. The classic French salad remoulade consists of blanched matchsticks of celeriac dressed with mayonnaise. It can be mashed with other root vegetables such as potatoes, turnips or parsnips or served as a purée flavoured with black pepper and garlic. Celeriac goes particularly well with beef and game dishes and is a flavoursome addition to hearty winter stews with beef or venison or chunky vegetable soups such as celeriac and blue cheese.

How To Prepare Celeriac

Peel the celeriac and cut into even-sized chunks if cooking or matchsticks if using in salads. To prevent discolouration, place the pieces into a bowl of water, with a squeeze of lemon juice added.

How To Cook Celeriac

Celeriac can be blanched, boiled or steamed. To blanch celeriac matchsticks for salads (this helps remove a slightly bitter taste), bring a pan of water with a squeeze of lemon juice added to the boil, drain the prepared celeriac and add to the pan. As soon as the water returns to the boil, pour the celeriac into a colander in the sink and rinse under cold running water until well chilled. Pat dry before using. To boil, bring a pan of water with a squeeze of lemon juice added to the boil, drain the prepared celeriac and add to the pan, boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. To steam, place the prepared celeriac in a steamer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Serve celeriac chunks whole, topped with butter and black pepper or mash, or purée.

How To Store Celeriac

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The information and images for this article have come from www.thinkvegetables.co.uk. It provides full information on all the main vegetables available on the UK market including nutritional information and delicious recipes. The site is a service provided by Mack Vegetables, one of the largest and most successful suppliers of fresh vegetables in the UK, serving a wide range of customers from caterers to major multiples. You can find out more about Mack by visiting the website at www.mwmack.co.uk