Celeriac Puree

[paulraphael]

I just fell in love with this after having it at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

Some friends are coming over dinner this weekend to be my guinee pigs ... any tips on how to make this perfectly smooth and fluffy? Does celeriac share any issues with potatoes (turning to glue from overprocessing, etc. etc.)?

[andiesenji]

I just fell in love with this after having it at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

Some friends are coming over dinner this weekend to be my guinee pigs ... any tips on how to make this perfectly smooth and fluffy? Does celeriac share any issues with potatoes (turning to glue from overprocessing, etc. etc.)?

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I oven-roast it, usually cut into fairly large chunks, until it will fall off a fork (chef's fork, with straight tines), then put it through a ricer, add the seasonings I want to taste, along with a little cream and/or butter and mix it well with a wooden spoon (no metal).

Then I force it through a fine sieve.

I have never tried beating it with a mixer - this is the way I learned to make it 50+ years ago and it still works for me. And it produces a lovely creamy pureé.

[paulraphael]

no metal? what's up with that?

do you get a fluffy texture when you do it this way??

[BryanZ]

Blend at relatively high speed until you've whipped in a significant amount of air. 5 minutes, just let it go so it turns freely.

[andiesenji]

no metal? what's up with that?

do you get a fluffy texture when you do it this way??

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On one occasion I used a metal spoon and the pureé had a metallic 'tang' which was rather unpleasant. I had always used a wooden spoon/paddle with a square end, to both mix the puree and press it through the sieve - my ricer is enamelled and the sieve screen, while SS, is not in contact with the puree for a prolonged period. I would rather be safe than sorry......

I get a very fluffy texture, very smooth. I use the ricer for parsnip pureé, as well as squash, sweet potato, chestnut, etc., essentially the same technique, and they all turn out much nicer than when simply mashed.

[paulraphael]

Blend at relatively high speed until you've whipped in a significant amount of air.  5 minutes, just let it go so it turns freely.

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so no issues with the starches getting gluey?

[adey73]

I make mine in a thermomix, I add a small amount of apple (skin removed) before you process. adds a very slight no sugar sweetness.

[BryanZ]

So, yes, the Thermomix is the ideal vehicle. But a wise chef told me, when I told him purchasing a Thermomix was perhaps out of the question for the foreseeable future, that just blitzing it like crazy with a blender is the way to go. Not 30 seconds until it looks smooth, but really letting it go crazy for several minutes. Never mind the noise. The result is analogous to the perfectly smooth, light purees you get at fine-dining restaurants. They probably use Thermomixes.

No issues with the starch here. The only veg you really have to be careful with is potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine.

[paulraphael]

So, yes, the Thermomix is the ideal vehicle.  But a wise chef told me, when I told him purchasing a Thermomix was perhaps out of the question for the foreseeable future, that just blitzing it like crazy with a blender is the way to go.  Not 30 seconds until it looks smooth, but really letting it go crazy for several minutes.  Never mind the noise.  The result is analogous to the perfectly smooth, light purees you get at fine-dining restaurants.  They probably use Thermomixes.

No issues with the starch here.  The only veg you really have to be careful with is potatoes.  Sweet potatoes are fine.

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Cool, thanks, that's helpful.

Do you like to blend before or after adding butter/cream?

And are there pros/cons to the oven over boiling?

[BryanZ]

Add butter, cream, liquid while blending. Add enough liquid so that it just turns freely. You want full circulation in the blender's container.

I actually use both methods, especially with vegetables that you want to take on an earthier, roasty flavor (sunchokes, parsnips, etc). With celery root, you may just want that clean, salty flavor, so roasting may not be the way to. Anyway, I high heat roast until golden brown then simmer in a mixture of stock and milk. Then add the solids and some of the cooking liquid in the pureeing process.

[paulraphael]

Brilliant, thanks.

[Qwerty]

You can also peel and cut into uniform pieces, then simmer in cream or a mixture of cream and 1/2 and 1/2 (with a satchet of whatever spices, herbs, etc you want--typical might be a little garlice, thyme, coriander, fennel, peppercorn, whatever) and salt. Simmer until tender, strain, then puree in a blender with just enough of the cooking liquid to (as Bryan said) allow the puree to turn freely in the jar. This will produce a nice, creamy, smooth and rich puree.

I don't do the roasting personally, and I like to cook it in the cream itself because the liquid picks up a lot of the celeriac flavor as well.

[Abra]

I think the nicest celeriac purée is made according to the recipe in The Cooking of Southwest France. It's an equal amount of celeriac and apples, simmered in milk until tender, drained, and whipped with a little cream. Everyone moans when they taste this, even here in France where celeriac purées are pretty common.

[paulraphael]

The puree was phenomenal. I made it with a bit of garlic:

2 celeriac knobs

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 cups milk

1-1/2 quarts water

1/2 cup cream

2 to 3 oz butter

1 to 2 teaspoons salt

White pepper

I boiled the celeriac and garlic in the water and milk, peeled the garlic, and them mashed up the celeriac and garlic a bit to soften.

They went into the blender with the cream, and with enough of the cooking liquid to let the blender process it. once it got going smoothly, I dropped in the butter and blended 4 or 5 minutes. Seasoned with salt and white pepper right before the end.

It was a little on the thin side (my blender doesn't have an easy time with thick mixtures) but after I held it for an hour on a bain marie it lost a bit of excess water and the texture was perfect.

It seems pretty foolproof ... next time I'll try the apples or something else.

Thanks for all the tips!

Edited January 14, 2008 by paulraphael (log)

[nhconner]

When roasted and then blended a sharper flavor is achieved. When simmered in milk, strained and blended, a milder softer flavor results. I agree with Bryan on long blending for fluffy texture. I too am Thermomixless.

Nate