Recipe: Celeriac Dauphinoise
Rich, thyme-spiked layers, with a crunchy cheesy breadcrumb topping…this is not just dauphinoise, this is celeriac dauphinoise. Swapping the potato out gives it a fragrant, earthy kick for a luxurious seasonal side that’s perfect with game, red cabbage or chicken.
Don’t bother buying breadcrumbs! Save the ends of your loaves, adding them to a bag in the freezer. When you have enough, push them through the grating attachment on a food processor to turn them into breadcrumbs, and re-freeze until needed. If you don’t have a food processor you can defrost the bread ends and make sure they’re dry, then put them into a sturdy plastic bag and smack them with a rolling pin until they’re broken up.
If you’re not sure where to start with a celeriac, check out the tips beneath the method for how to prep it up.
Serves 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 celeriac, sliced into 1mm thick slices. A mandolin helps here, or the thinnest attachment on a food processor.
450ml double cream
400ml whole milk
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Two handfuls breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon picked thyme leaves
Black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan / 200C / gas mark 4.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, thyme, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan and the crushed garlic.
Add the celeriac slices and mix well, then tip into a large baking dish. Arrange them so they’re lying flat, and press down so they’re under the cream.
Bake for 45 minutes or until soft all the way through.
Mix the breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan and sprinkle over the top of the dish 10-15 minutes before it is finished.
Prepping Celeriac
At first sight the celeriac can look an intimidating vegetable, all gnarled and fibrous, but it’s really a simple matter of getting rid of that tough exterior to use the firm, snowy root inside.
Give it a good scrub, then I like to have at it with a potato peeler, getting rid of the outer layer of skin until you have an almost smooth white surface. There will probably be some tangles left at the root end, so just cut those off with a kitchen knife and you’re good to go: cut into chunks to boil for mash or soup; into matchsticks or grated for a creamy rémoulade; into slices for a tart or fingers to roast.