26. Potato and Celeriac
I have been lifting the last of the potatoes and celeriac from the raised beds, before starting to get them ready for next season’s planting. My favourite way to use these is in a dauphinoise, a delicious winter feast.
The potato crop has been good this season. The first harvest was August - October, and the second crop have lasted from December - February. They get smaller as the season progresses, but they still have that wonderful intense earthy flavour.
The celeriac crop was more of a disappointment. Planted in May, the plants had a lot of promising looking leaves but the tubers have been much smaller than expected. Good on flavour, but a let down on size, and in all sorts of awkward shapes which make them tricky to peel. I will need to research how to improve the celeriac crop before the next season’s planting.
Potatoes and celeriac make the perfect combination for a cold weather winter dauphinoise. This recipe is from my mother’s friend Val, and has become a favourite winter staple.
Ingredients:
potatoes & celeriac sliced into equal sized disks / pieces,
2 onions, fried slowly on a low heat until transparent,
250ml stock - I use Marigold bouillon,
250ml cream,
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed,
Flour - a handful,
salt and pepper
Method:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Mix potatoes, celeriac in a bowl, and coat with the flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fry onions in some olive oil over a low heat until they become transparent.
Bring stock and garlic to the boil. Take off the heat and add the cream. Set aside.
Butter a large casserole dish.
Layer the potato / celeriac mix, then onions, add salt and pepper to taste. Repeat layers until all vegetables are used up.
Pour over the stock / cream mixture, and bake in the oven in an open dish for 75-90 minutes until cooked through and golden.
Serve hot. Can be left and reheated the next day - it seems to intensify the flavour.
This is a very delicious way to use up the celeriac, and is a perfect winter meal.