Celery: Stalking The Root

by Judy Sobeloff, from the January 2004 newsletter

I admit I was drawn to celery root solely because of its looks: it's really ugly. It looks like a bumpy, mossy brown head with sprouts and digits growing out of the top. Frightened, I asked Stacey, assistant produce manager at the Co-op, what it was.

“No one ever buys any,” she said.

“Maybe I can help,” I said, scooping up the homely root.

I dreaded my encounter with celery root even more when I realized it's also known as celeriac, a word that to me has always sounded medicinal, and like “maniac.” Its other aliases include celery knob, turnip rooted celery, and soup celery. Hadn’t I seen its photo up on the wall at the post office?

I did discover, after extensive research, that celery root/celeriac is not simply the root of the regular celery we’re used to—although celeriac does have stalks similar to regular celery, celeriac is a related but distinct plant. To add to the possible celery identity confusion, the celery root we use today is not even the root of the celery root plant; instead, Clifford A. Wright writes in Mediterranean Vegetables, “the lowest part of the stem, or corm, has been developed by growers over time into a swollen state.” Historically, Wright notes, “celery root was a popular vegetable in Egypt in the Middle Ages and was introduced to England in the mid-eighteenth century from Alexandria, Egypt.”

As celery root is not only ugly but also expensive, my main question in cooking with it became: Why? Stacey demonstrated for me at the Co-op that when cut open, it smells really good, like, well, celery. Deborah Madison, in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, describes celery root as having “lots of character and a bracingly clean flavor—like celery, only deeper and softer.” Apparently it’s often used in salads. Tasting it raw, Fred said, “If you like celery, you'll like this better.” The French, I read, are gaga about celery root, using it, in particular, in remoulade sauce.

For my first dish I boiled the celeriac to add it to celeriac-potato puree. Recipe author Mark Bittman cautions that “celeriac must be peeled before using; use a sharp knife rather than a vegetable peeler, and acknowledge from the outset that you will lose a good portion of the flesh.” Although the boiled celeriac now looked to me like benign white rectangles, Jonna, age two, threw hers on the floor without trying it. Fred thought it looked “severe” but had a “delicate taste. It’s celery in potato form, celery without the strings. I really like it.” Even though I boiled it until it seemed soft, I still found it impossible to mash with a fork and instead ended up chopping it with a knife. I found the celeriac-potato puree tasty, but the celery flavor seemed slightly out of place to me—apart from the nutritional benefits of adding celery, I would have preferred regular mashed potatoes.

Step two involved an easy transformation of the celeriac-potato puree into croquettes. These I found incredibly good, and here every flavor, even the celery root, seemed to belong. Nonetheless, Jonna refused even to taste the “pancake,” instead helping herself to every leaf of spinach in my salad bowl. When the croquettes returned cold for lunch the following day, she took a tiny bite and said clearly, “I don't like it.”

For the finale, I grated celery root into a wild rice dish, omitting a béchamel cream sauce because the recipe already called for two kinds of cheese. At last, a celery root dish that Jonna, Fred, and I all liked a lot.

Celeriac And Potato Puree (adapted from How to Cook Everything)

1 pound celeriac
1 pound baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, peeled
Salt
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk or cream, warmed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Cut the celeriac and potatoes into roughly equal-sized pieces, 1 or 2 inches in diameter. Boil in water with handful of salt until both potatoes and celeriac are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the vegetables. Run through a food mill or mash with a large fork or potato masher. Add the butter and, gradually, the milk, beating with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

Celeriac-Potato Croquettes
(adapted from How to Cook Everything)

Celeriac-potato puree (from recipe above)
2 eggs
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Flour as needed
Olive oil or butter as needed
Plain bread crumbs for dredging (optional)

1. Combine the celeriac-potato puree, eggs, optional nutmeg, parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Add enough flour (you may not need any) to allow the potatoes to hold their shape. Mold into patties. If time allows, refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Cover with optional bread crumbs and cook in hot oil or melted butter in large, deep skillet on medium high until brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Garnish and serve hot or at room temperature.

Wild Rice And Celery Root Gratin

(Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 small celery root, peeled and grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly milled pepper
3 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter or oil a baking dish. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the celery root with the lemon juice, garlic, and 2 Tbsp. parsley and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the cooked wild rice, celery root, and cheeses. Turn into the dish and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

See an article on What to do with celery

REFERENCES
Bittman, Mark. How to Cook Everything. New York: Macmillan, 1998.
Madison, Deborah. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.
Wright, Clifford A. Mediterranean Vegetables. Boston: Harvard Common Press, 2001.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors, except were otherwise noted.

Return to Resource Archive

For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.