The field of celeriac had six clear, putty-coloured roots in it, each with a touch of mauve and a fizz of inexperienced shoots. If ever this knobbly, bushy root might be regarded as tempting, this was it. Celeriac is one thing a prepare dinner tends to seek out themselves having to make use of reasonably selecting to purchase. These, nevertheless, have been lovely and I took three of them house: one to bake, one to grate and one other for luck.
There may be usually a lot scrubbing and trimming even earlier than we choose up the peeler. This time, I minimize off the rooty base, wrapped it up in a shiny parcel with oil, salt and thyme and baked it slowly for a few hours. The hard-as-nails flesh relented, mellowed and darkened to the color of honey. The sauce that accompanied it was heat and spicy, candy with coconut milk and earthy with garam masala and turmeric. One of many world’s least-attractive greens was all of the sudden trying reasonably good.
The second root was grated – coarsely, as if for a traditional remoulade – then stirred right into a thick dressing of yoghurt and tahini, its floor freckled with toasted sesame seeds. The third remains to be within the fridge, ready to be sliced and layered with onions and vegetable inventory.
This, not less than to me, is marmalade climate – the purpose within the 12 months when a spoonful of wobbling citrus jelly is especially cheering. On toast, after all, however in steamed sponges and truffles, too. Marmalade makes a surprisingly good glaze for a ginger cake and I like a pencil-thin line in a sacher-style chocolate cake, too. I used a few jars in a tart this week, with candy and crumbly pastry and a thick layer of bitter-sweet orange marmalade. A slice of glowing citrus pleasure on a gray February day.
Baked celeriac, coconut sauce
I'd be tempted to eat this earthy dish with steamed rice, maybe with coriander leaves and somewhat lemon zest forked by the grains.
Serves 2 as a principal dish, 4 as a aspect
celeriac 2 giant, weighing about 1 kg every
groundnut, vegetable or olive oil 3 tbsp
thyme 6 sprigs
For the sauce:
ginger 40g, contemporary
inexperienced chillies 2
garlic 2 cloves
groundnut oil 4 tbsp
yellow mustard seeds 2 tsp
garam masala 4 tsp
floor turmeric 1 tsp
coconut milk 400ml
coriander leaves a handful
mint leaves 20
Set the oven at 180C/gasoline mark 4.
Totally scrub the celeriac, trim off any untidy roots and fibres, however don’t peel it. Unfold a sheet of kitchen foil, giant sufficient wherein to wrap the celeriac, over the within of a roasting tin. Place the celeriac within the center, pour over the oil, then season it with salt and pepper and thyme sprigs, scrunch the foil collectively to loosely seal the celeriac. Bake for two hours.
Coarsely grate the ginger. Finely chop the chillies, discarding the seeds if you want. Peel and crush the garlic. Pour the oil right into a medium-sized saucepan, place over a average warmth and add the ginger, chillies and garlic. Let the aromatics prepare dinner for a few minutes, stirring frequently, then stir within the mustard seeds, garam masala and turmeric and proceed cooking for 3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and bubble for 3 minutes. Take away the celeriac from the oven, unwrap and pour the coconut sauce over. Return to the oven for an extra half-hour. Chop the coriander and mint, then scatter them over the sauce because it comes from the oven.
Marmalade tart
Waves of nostalgia right here. You would use any jam for this, however keep in mind that strawberry and raspberry are more likely to be too candy for the pastry, which is intentionally sweetened to stability the citrus bitterness of the marmalade. Depart the tart to chill and the filling to completely set earlier than trying to chop into slices.
For the pastry:
plain flour 250g
butter 125g
caster sugar 100g
egg yolks 2
water 1-2 tbsp
egg 1, crushed for the glaze
For the filling:
floor almonds 4 tbsp
orange marmalade 500g
Additionally, you will want a 20cm tart tin with a detachable base.
Put the flour into the bowl of a meals processor, add the butter in giant items and course of for a couple of seconds to the consistency of tremendous breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and the egg yolk and course of till the combination begins to return collectively to type a dough. Pour in sufficient water – in all probability 1 or 2 tbsp – to provide a clean, agency dough. You may also do that by hand, rubbing the butter into the flour along with your fingertips, then stirring within the sugar and eggs and somewhat water and bringing the dough right into a ball by hand.
Wrap the pastry in kitchen parchment and let it relaxation within the fridge for half-hour.
Set the oven at 190C/gasoline mark 5. Slice off one-third of the dough and put aside. On a calmly floured board, roll out the bigger piece of pastry and use it to line the tart tin. Push the dough properly into the corners and trim the sides. Scatter the bottom almonds over the bottom of the tart, then spoon within the marmalade and gently clean the floor.
Roll out the reserved pastry right into a disc roughly the scale of the tart, then minimize into 2cm large strips. Brush calmly with somewhat crushed egg, then place the strips one after the other on to the floor of the tart in a lattice sample. Bake for half-hour till the pastry is pale biscuit-coloured and the marmalade is effervescent. Let the tart cool earlier than easing from the tin and slicing.
Observe Nigel on Twitter @NigelSlater
Post a Comment