A lovely supper – crisp and savoury outside, soft and almost nutty inside. Well worth the effort and time. Feeds 2.
- 1 celeriac, peeled
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 100ml water
- Couple of sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 tbsp dried white breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp veg oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Pre-heat oven to 180C fan (200C)
- Cut 4 slices, 1.5cm thick from the celeriac (save the scraps for making soup or remoulade or celeriac chips)
- Lay the slices in a single layer in a roasting tin, season well and add the salted butter, water and thyme
- Cover with tinfoil, scrunched well around the edges to seal it, and pop in the oven for 30 mins
- The celeriac should be soft to the point of a sharp knife. Remove from the tin and lay out on a plate to cool (saving the pan juices for the aforementioned soup if you like)
- Leave the celeriac slices to cool slightly while you prep the next bit
- Pour the beaten egg onto a lipped plate or shallow bowl
- Tip the breadcrumbs onto a plate and mix well with salt and pepper, paprika, garlic and parmesan
- Sprinkle flour over the celeriac slices, making sure the upper side is lightly coated all over, patting the flour on with your fingertips
- Gently place each slice, flour side down, into the egg … and then into the breadcrumbs. At the end of the process, one side of each celeriac slice will be well coated, the other naked
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil and butter together over medium heat
- Carefully slide each celeriac slice, breadcrumb side down, into the pan
- Leave untouched until the underneath is golden brown and crunchy – around 3-4 mins – then flip over and give the unbreadcrumbed side a couple of mins
Serve immediately, crisp breadcrumb-side up, with a herby, mustardy potato salad and a green salad
Sophie cooks 