Celeriac - A Great Low Carb Vegetable

Celeriac:
You Pronounce it: sell-air-e-ak

The unsung hero of the vegetable world, knobbly, odd-shaped celeriac has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones. Try it as mash, in big-flavoured, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form, and as they do in France, as a remoulade.

Availability:
Celeriac is available year round but is at its best from September to April.

Choose the best:
Choose a firm root that feels heavy for its size. Avoid those that are discoloured.

Prepare it:
Using a sharp knife, top and tail the celeriac, then use a potato peeler to remove the rhino-tough skin. Expect to discard about a quarter of the celeriac by the time you've done this.

Store it:
In the salad drawer of your fridge before use. Celeriac discolours quickly, immerse in a bowl of water, after chopping to size, with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar added (also known as 'acidulated water').

Cook it:
Boils in 20 mins, roasts in around 40 mins when cut into rough-shaped chunks.

Carb Count:
Flesh only boiled 1.9g per 100g

Now here is a nice recipe for Celeriac Dauphinoise you may like to try:

1 celeriac
300ml double cream
100 grams mature cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
Optional 2 cloves garlic

Cut the celeriac into quarters then peel. Slice the celeriac into 5 mm thick pieces. Place a layer in a baking dish and add some double cream and dried herbs, salt and pepper. Continue layering up. Place in a hot oven 200 centigrade and cook for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and add a layer of grated cheddar cheese (optional). Place back in oven and cook until cheese is golden brown. Serves 4


This is one of our favourite foods and goes with anything, meat, fish and even tastes great warmed up for breakfast with a couple of poached eggs and some mushrooms, or try with some kippers. It really is great food at anytime and does not raise blood sugar numbers ... we know Eddie's meter tells him!

All the best Jan

PS I'm sure there are many other celeriac recipe ideas ...

They forgot the part about putting a bag over the celeriac in case you look at it, and putting a second bag over your head for when the first bag falls off.

I like to cut them into chunks and add them to a casserole. Which reminds me next time I go to the farm shop perhaps I'll buy a rabbit out of the freezer, well part of a rabbit. Maybe even some swede and big carrots as well, slowly casseroled with bacon and whole black peppers and other herbs and spices. Sod the potatoes, who needs them?

For a very light lunch, or an easy starter, these simple winter flavours combine well and make a vibrantly colourful dish. The remoulade, using celeriac and carrot, with some fresh dill just tastes so good. Serve it with some charcuterie, which many supermarkets seem to have an even better selection at this time of year ... it's easy, tasty and some would also say perfect!

Ingredients:
Serves Four
1 celeriac, peeled and grated
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp lighter mayonnaise
2 tbsp half fat créme fraîche
1 small lemon, juiced

Method:
1. Put the grated celeriac and carrot in a bowl and mix with the dill, mayonnaise, créme fraîche and the lemon juice.
2. Serve with a continental meat platter, as pictured above.

Each serving provides
7.7g carbohydrate 4.9g fibre 3.3g protein 4.2g fat

Did you know ... Charcuterie is a generic term for the products traditionally sold by charcutiers (pork butchers), and includes all products based on pork meat or offal, including cured and cooked meats, fresh and smoked sausages, pâtés, black puddings and salamis. In France, it also refers to the shop itself that sells these kinds of products. Order charcuterie in a restaurant and you will be served a platter of cuts of meats and sausages prepared in various ways.

Post also seen here with all relevant links
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/celeriac-remoulade-with-charcuterie.html

All the best Jan

Using celeriac as a topping this delicious fish pie is 12.9g carbohydrate per serving... and which certainly can help to keep blood sugars lower, especially important if you are diabetic!

Ingredients:
Serves Four
300 ml milk
1 bay leaf
120g Scottish salmon fillet
160g skinless and boneless smoked haddock fillet
20 g butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
20 g flour
1/2 tsp mustard powder
100 g frozen garden peas
1 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks (about 600g)
90g raw king prawns
40 g mature cheddar, grated

Method:
1. Preheat the grill to high. Place the milk in a deep frying pan with the bay leaf, salmon and haddock. Cover the pan with a lid and gently bring to the boil. Add the prawns to the pan right before the milk comes up to a boil. Once the prawns are pink and the fish is nearly cooked through, turn off the heat. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour the milk into a jug and reserve.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, then add the celeriac and boil for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain well, reserving 100ml of the liquid. Roughly mash the celeriac with a potato masher.
3. Using the same frying pan you used for the fish, heat half the butter over medium-low heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until the onion has softened, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the remaining butter and the flour. Cook stirring often, for 1 minute, then start gradually adding the milk from the jug. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the milk come to the boil. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the mustard powder, peas and chopped dill. Then add the reserved liquid from the celeriac. Season lightly.
4. Gently flake the fish and place into a 1.5 litre ovenproof baking dish along with the prawns. Pour over the sauce. Top the pie with the celeriac mash and sprinkle with the grated cheddar. Place under the grill for about 5 minutes, until the cheddar has melted and the topping is lightly crisp and golden.

Each serving provides:
12.9g carbohydrate 0.5g fibre 26.4g protein 12.3g fat

All the best Jan

Have you tried Celeriac Fries?

"Celeriac might be the ugliest vegetable ever. It really is totally hideous, but once you get past its rough, brutish appearance I promise you’ll fall so in love with this awesome root. The wedges are baked with olive oil, fresh rosemary, dried mixed herbs, chilli flakes and salt, all of which intensify their natural flavour making them even more delicious!"

Words above and more including recipe at Deliciously Ella site here
https://deliciouslyella.com/2013/01/14/celeriac-fries/

Do go and have a look

All the best Jan

This dish does make a great vegetarian main meal, or you can have it as a side dish - the choice is yours!

Ingredients:
Serves 4 - 6
1 large celeriac
2 tbsp. walnut oil
300ml vegetable stock*  
handful chopped walnuts
100g blue cheese, such as Bleu d'Auvergne or Stilton

Method:
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Peel, quarter and very thinly slice the celeriac - this is best done with the slicing blade of a food processor.
Toss in the walnut oil, salt and pepper, and spread over a gratin dish.
Pour over the stock and bake for 40-45 mins, then sprinkle with the walnuts, crumble over the cheese, then cook for 15 mins until crisp and golden.
Nutrition Per Serving:
Fat 18g Protein 9g Carbs 4g

* you can also reduce the amount of vegetable stock slightly and add crème fraiche... it makes for a slightly creamier texture.

From an original idea here
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1187/celeriac-and-walnut-gratin

All the best Jan

Ingredients:
Serves Two
small knob of butter
2 tsp oil
1 small onion (I like the red ones), halved and sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
½ celeriac (about 350g), halved, thinly sliced, then roughly chopped
2-3 large leaves Cavolo Nero or spring greens, stalks removed, shredded
90g cooked ham hock, shredded
1 tbsp. wholegrain mustard
2 eggs (we like free range)
25g gruyere, cut into small chunks (optional)

Method:
1. Heat the butter and oil in a wide frying pan. Add the onion and cook slowly for 15 mins or until turning golden. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 30 secs, then add the celeriac and some seasoning. Stir to make sure the celeriac is well coated in the buttery onions, then add a splash of water and cover the pan with a lid or piece of foil. Cook for 8-10 mins until the celeriac has softened and is caramelising in places.
2. Add the Cavolo Nero and ham, and stir well. Increase the heat to wilt the cavolo nero and crisp the ham in places. Add a splash more water if anything starts to stick to the pan. Dot around spoonful's of mustard, then create two spaces to cook the eggs. Add a drizzle more oil to the gaps if the bottom of the pan looks dry, then crack in the eggs. Dot the cheese around the pan and cover with a lid or foil for 2-3 mins. By this time, the egg whites should be cooked and the yolks still runny. Season the eggs with a little black pepper and serve from the pan.

Nutrition, per serving:
fat 23g carbs 9g protein 29g
From an original idea here
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/celeriac-hash-ham-hock-duck-eggs

All the best Jan