Go-with-Everything Celery Root Puree: French Fridays with Dorie

Celery Root Puree

I can't tell you how many times I bought celery root with the intention to do something with it: a salad, a soup, roasted... but every time I bought this ugly tuber I let it rot.

I mean look at it:

celery root

Does this look like it really should be eaten? I don't even think it looks like something that should ever be taken out of the ground.

I was so happy the Dorista's actually got me to cook one of these little brains.

Peeling a celery root is definitely a challenge. Though the rest of the puree's directions were not very complicated. Basically you treat celery root as if it is a potato. The only part of the recipe that I found unnecessary was cooking it in milk. The root didn't take on the milk flavor, I could have just added a little when I was pureeing it... all the milk did was scorch the bottom of my pan.

My son was so excited to see me put "mashed potatoes" on the table.

"Well, they're not exactly mashed potatoes."

"Not another French thing... what is it?"

"Celery root."

"Great."

He ate it,... and so did the rest of the family, but no one was thrilled, except for me... but I love the taste of celery. They would have preferred their beloved mashed potatoes. Oh well, I have a recipe for celery root as a cold slaw that I think I'll try maybe that will go over better, because I do think it is a truly interesting vegetable.

Here is a similar recipe: Celery Root Puree

I served the celery root puree with a garlic brown sugar chicken recipe that everyone really enjoyed.

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Note: As a member of French Friday's with Dorie I am not allowed to print the recipe. I invite you to take a look at this wonderful cookbook "Around My French Table" if you are interested in this or any other recipe I review.