Search

Join Culinate! Login or Register

Join Culinate

With a free Culinate membership, you can:

Create your own recipe collections
Queue recipes for later use
Blog your culinary endeavors
Be part of our online community of cooks
And much more…

Join Now

Celery Root and Potato Gratin

From the book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Serves

4 to 6

Introduction

A broth made from the celery-root trimmings replaces half of the cream that’s usually found in potato gratins, without loss of flavor or texture. Celery root has a haunting flavor that always reminds me of truffles, which are an excellent addition should you be so lucky. (If I were using truffles, I would use all cream in the dish.)

Ingredients

	1	clove garlic
	~	Butter for the dish
	1	celery root (about 1 pound), scrubbed
	1	lb. potatoes, preferably Yellow Finn or Yukon gold
	~	Salt and freshly ground pepper
	½	cup heavy cream
	2	tsp. Dijon mustard
	1	cup grated Gruyère or Cantal cheese

Steps

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub a 2-quart gratin dish with the garlic, then with the butter.
Peel the celery root and put the parings in a 3-quart saucepan with 3 cups water and whatever remains of the garlic. Set a steamer over the top and bring to a boil.
Quarter the root, then slice it ¼-inch thick. Steam for 5 minutes and remove the roots to a large bowl.
Peel the potatoes, slice them into thin rounds, and steam for 5 minutes or until tender, then add them to the celery root.
Strain the cooking liquid. Measure 1¼ cups liquid and mix it with the cream and mustard. Pour it over the vegetables and toss well. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper.
Transfer the vegetables to the gratin dish, smooth them out, and cover with the cheese. Bake until bubbling and browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Related article: Beguiling French vegetables