I’ll get straight to the point here. It’s freezing outside, I can’t be bothered going to the shop but fancy something warm and delicious. Enter the World’s greatest comfort food, the Celeriac Gratin.
Celeriac Gratin - food of the gods?
You might think celeriac is a bit boring; it is after all just a nobbly root vegetable which happens to taste a lot like celery – if you’ve even heard of it at all. But you’re missing the point; Celeriac when cooked into a gratin makes on of the most delicious dishes out there, even surpassing the mighty macaroni cheese – and if don’t believe me, give it a go. You’ll be amazed at how good this tastes.
I’ve cooked this a handful of times in the past year and each time done it slightly different, so what I present to you here is the most delicious version out there, tried and tested.
Some of the recipes I’ve tried call for single cream but even if you’re trying to be healthy I urge you not to do this. The thinner the cooking liquid the more the celeriac begins to take on a “boiled” texture when cooked which, although not entirely unpleasant, is far from the luxuriousness which the double cream in this version brings.
As a final note, don’t be tempted to over fill your gratin dish. I did so once – probably because I’m greedy – then went out to walk the dog. When I got back the kitchen was full of smoke as the sauce had been dripping constantly onto the bottom of the oven and had set on fire!
Recipe: Celeriac and Potato Gratin
Summary: Celeriac Gratin is one of the most comforting dishes out there. You’ll be amazed how good it tastes.
Ingredients
- 1 Celeriac, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 1 large Potato, peeled and cut into thin slices
- 2 Cloves Smoked Garlic (you can use normal), thinly sliced
- 250ml Chicken Stock
- 250ml Double Cream
- 1 tbsp Plain Flour
- 1/4 tsp dried red chilli flakes (optional)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Method
- Start by pre-heating your oven to 190c / 375f.
- Place your celeriac, garlic, chilli, flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss around with your hands until well combined.
- Layer the celeriac and potato into a heatproof dish such as that pictured. Don’t worry about being neat or about separating the celeriac / potato. Leave a couple of cm at the top of the dish so that the sauce doesn’t bubble over the sides.
- Mix the chicken stock and double cream together in a jug and then pour evenly over the gratin, then place into your oven for approximately 90 minutes or until golden brown and the celeriac is tender.
- Serve as is or as a perfect side dish.
Variations
You can try this with just celeriac instead of using potato. You could also give it a go with another root vegetable such as swede for a unique taste.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
