Celeriac might be the least loved vegetable I can think of, besides brussels sprouts. But I must confess that I've recently thought of nothing but delicious, sharp, flavoursome celeriac. It is the ugliest, knobbliest, roughest vegetable I can think of, but once you've reached the white, celery-like flesh, you'll struggle to believe you're dealing with a January root vegetable.
It's strong. Fragrant. Crisp with a celery-like crunch. And it's wonderful roasted, boiled, mashed, stewed - however you cook it. And it's cheap and plentiful at this time of the year.
The ones I get from the farmers' market are covered in dirt and require a good scrubbing before they go anywhere near my chopping board. They get a good trimming on top and bottom, and then I gently slice off the thick skin, revealing the white inside. Here, I've chopped them to centimetre chunks and cooked them into a risotto.
The risotto itself is many-layered in flavour: a base of sautéed onion, nutty arborio rice, sharp celeriac. I added a good grating of fresh nutmeg to spice it up a bit and stirred in a few shredded leaves of savoy cabbage for their green vibrancy. A welcome shock of colour in an otherwise white January dish.
*****
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small celeriac, or half a large once, peeled and diced to 1 cm
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup shredded savoy cabbage
a knob of butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
whole nutmeg
parmesan shavings, to serve
1. In a large saucepan, gently cook your onions in oil over medium heat. Once softened, add in your garlic and celeriac and stir. Let cook for a further two minutes before stirring in your rice. Season to taste. 2. Once the rice is glossy, pour in your first ladleful of stock. Deglaze the pan with this and then add a bit more stock. As the rice absorbs the stock, stir, and add more stock once it starts to stick. Repeat. 3. Near the end of cooking, once you're near your last bit of stock, stir in your cabbage and butter. Continue the process of adding stock until all the stock is absorbed or until the risotto is al dente, about an hour. Season to taste and grate in about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh nutmeg. Serve with shavings of parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and a bit more nutmeg.
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