Potato and Celery Root Gratin
Everyone is familiar with scalloped potatoes and their cheesy, creamy goodness, and of course, the high carbohydrate and calorie content that goes with this heavy but great side dish. If you could reduce the calories and add more nutrition it would be to your family’s great advantage. You will add some taste too with this combination.
Celery Root! Or to be formal, Celeriac. This root is no stranger to European cooking. They use it all the time in baked dishes, soups, stews and even put it raw in salads. Celery root makes wonderful French Fries too. You have seen it in the grocery store and most likely passed by it because it is so ugly. It is rough and covered with knobs and resembles something from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. (Tell your kids it’s Orc food.) But once the heavy skin is sliced off, the white marble interior is revealed. It tastes like common celery (it’s not though) and imparts that mild flavor to whatever you pair it with. Celeriac is a slow summer grower, becoming available in the fall, but it stores for months so you can have on hand for most of the off growing season.
Celeriac has a low Glycemic Index, therefore it is not very starchy but substitutes extremely well for any kind of high starch food. It is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Phosphorus, Potassium, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Magnesium and Manganese and has about 60 calories per cup, therefore a great way to manage weight.
Use about equal parts celeriac and potatoes when making this dish and try to slice everything about the same thickness, into coins. You can also make this a day ahead of time a simply re-heat it.
The quickest and easiest way to slice up celeriac (and potatoes) is to use a Mandolin. These are available in a wide price range. I have a plastic one with a ceramic blade. It works great was inexpensive. Caution is required when using this tool, especially when the vegetable is almost completely sliced. Mandolins makes short work of prep time and allow for uniform pieces which ensure even cooking. Don’t get too hung-up on this, just cut everything to best of your ability.
Ingredients:
- 1 Celeriac Root
- 3-4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 Medium Onion, rough chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 Cup Whole Milk (or 2% if calories are a concern)
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan (or White Cheddar) Cheese
Procedure:
- Fry the onions in butter in a large sauté pan until soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a couple minutes more.
- While doing that, peel and slice the potatoes and celeriac into discs. Add the milk to the onions and bring to a simmer. (Depending on the amount of potatoes and celeriac, more milk may be required. The liquid should cover the vegetables.) Add the vegetables and HALF of the grated cheese. Stir it around and simmer for ½ hour.
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and then transfer the contents of the sauté pan to a buttered casserole dish. Cover with tin foil. Bake for about 1 hour until tender. Add your last ¼ to ½ cup of cheese on top and bake, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until everything lightly golden brown. Serve.
Recipe Note: Cheddar Cheese
Use white cheddar cheese and make sure it’s real cheese not a ‘cheese food’. White looks better in this application and most whites tend to be milder. Interestingly: orange cheddar is dyed that way by annatto (it’s not a chemical but seeds from the South American Annatto tree). This practice started centuries ago to fool consumers into not realizing whether the cheese was made in the spring or fall because of the old myth that held that spring cheese was better because the animals ate fresh grass. Good Cheddar is made all over the world now, and plenty of good stuff comes from various parts of America, so you do not need to stick with English cheddar.
