Celeriac 7793

This was a recipe from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells.

And the above was my own suggestion.

Here are two more suggestions-recipes. The first is from A Book of Mediterranean Food by Elizabeth David, the second from Cuisine Minceur by Michel GuŽrard. The latter is a low-calorie recipe, so feel free to subsbreastute whole milk for the skimmed milk powder and water if you want; also notice that the parsley is the leaf variety). Such recipes can be sublime... or they can be too strong-tasting. If the latter, consider mixing the purŽe with mashed potatoes.

Victor

Elizabeth David

CŽleri-rave farci

Peel 2 or 3 celeriac roots, cut them in half and blanch them.

Prepare the following stuffing: chopped mushrooms and shallots cooked a few moments in butter, to which add a sprinkling of flour, a cup of milk and 2 oz of any minced cold meat or chicken.

Fill the celeriacs with the stuffing (having first scooped out the centres), arrange them in a buttered cbutterole with more butter on the top, cover the pan and cook in a slow oven for 45 minutes.

The milk in the stuffing mixture can be replaced by tomato purŽe.

Michel GuŽrard

Celeriac and Parsley PurŽe PurŽe-mousse de cŽleri-rave au persil

For four people Main 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) celeriac ingredients 100 g (3 1-2 oz) parsley 1 litre (1 3-4 pints) water 100 g (3 1-2 oz) skimmed milk salt, pepper Equipment 1 heavy-based saucepan 1 wooden spoon or spatula 1 liquidiser

1. Peel the celeriac and cut into chunks. Blanch for two minutes in boiling salted water to eliminate any bitterness and drain.

2. Stir the skimmed milk powder into the cold water in the heavy-based pan. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, add the celeriac and simmer for thirty minutes. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent it from sticking.

3. Remove the stalks from the parsley. was and dry it, and ten minutes before the end of the cooking time, add to the pan with the celeriac.

4. Strain off the liquid or lift out the parsley and celeriac with a skimmer and blend them in a liquidiser, adding just enough of the cooking liquid to give the purŽe a light mousse-like consistency. Taste for seasoning. Either keep the purŽe hot in a bain-marie ready to serve, or store it in the refrigerator until needed.