Potato and Celery Root Puree

October 2010 Bon Appetit at 92

(This recipe includes a topping of fried Jerusalem artichokes, which I did not make and shall not blog.)

Ingredients

2       celery roots (trimmed, peeled and cubed to 1 inch, about 8 cups)
1lb    russet potatoes (trimmed, peeled and cubed to 3/4 inch, about 3 cups)
2C    low salt chicken broth
2C    milk
3cvs garlic
3spg thyme
1      bay leaf

I have a great method for mashed potatoes that I can blog about when I make them, but a recent Bon Appetit article celebrating root vegetables got me curious about using other roots as creamy sides. I once made cauliflower puree that turned out wonderfully fatty, but a little bland, so I thought this might be a good way to fill out my knowledge in a couple areas. I served them with Kao Paigu ribs.

At the outset, I balanced the amount of potatoes and celery root so they were even.


1)  Add first seven ingredients in a heavy pot and add enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer with lid ajar until vegetables are tender. 

I didn't add the water.

I usually only prepare celery root for white mirepoix for use in seafood stocks, so my insights are limited. They peel mostly like potatoes, but there are deep trenches that harbor small root fibers and dirt. I carve those out with a paring knife. There might be faster ways, but in terms of getting clean vegetables with little waste, it seems to work fine. Anyone with a better method is encouraged to describe it in the comments.

2)  Drain, return to pot.

I didn't do that, either. I left the pot uncovered to encourage some liquid loss. See below.

3)  Mash vegetables with potato masher, mash in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Okay, Bon Appetit. Is this a mash or a puree? I wanted a puree, so I used my immersion blender and the remaining liquid to puree. This will give you a markedly different texture than mashing the drained vegetables.

The result, pictured blurrily with Kao Paigu pork ribs.

How did it turn out?

The higher, more herbal flavor of the celery root is an entirely new take on what root vegetables can do. One of my guests even referred to the taste as "summery". I'm split on whether that's a good thing. I think the recipe as I made it is solid, though; as long as the cook wants and expects a powerful celeriac flavor. In my preparation, the puree was light enough and delivered a good, smooth texture.