Yeah, it’s a weird veggie. Here’s an idea or two to get you going:
SMASHED CELERIAC (from Jamie Oliver)
• 1 celeriac, peeled
• olive oil
• 1 handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3–4 tablespoons water or stock
Slice about 1cm/½ inch off the bottom of your celeriac and roll it on to that flat edge, so it’s nice and safe to slice. Slice and dice it all up into 1cm/½ inch-ish cubes. Don’t get your ruler out – they don’t have to be perfect. Put a casserole-type pot on a high heat, add 3 good lugs of olive oil, then add the celeriac, thyme and garlic, with a little seasoning. Stir around to coat and fry quite fast, giving a little colour, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the water or stock, place a lid on top and cook for around 25 minutes, until tender. Season carefully to taste and stir around with a spoon to smash up the celeriac. Some people like to keep it in cubes, some like to mash it, but I think it looks and tastes much better if you smash it, which is somewhere in the middle. You can serve this with just about any meat you can think of.
