Autumn Delights

Most of us think of root vegetables as the ubiquitous carrots, parsnips, potatoes and turnips. But amongst this group exists some other delicious options, celeriac and jerusalem artichokes being two. Both lack the uniform shape and neatness of the more common root vegetables which may be why home cooks tend to shy away from them. However both are simple to prepare once you know how.

Celeriac

Celeriac, also known as celery root, belongs to the same family as celery, carrots and parsnip. Quite different to its cousins, this ugly ducking is a round bulbous corm with a brown warty exterior and small roots sticking out at all angles. Inside though, the crisp white interior has a flavour similar to celery.

Celeriac appears in autumn and tends to be available right through until spring. Look for examples that are not too huge as the larger ones can be soft in the centre. I prefer them about the size of a large potato. It should feel heavy and have a fresh appearance with still green stalks (generally the leaves have been removed).  Keep in the fridge for up to a week, although they will generally keep longer if stored at a low enough temperature.

During preparation treat celeriac as you would apples and once cut place the pieces in a bowl of acidulated water to prevent discolouration. Peel the celeriac thickly to remove all the warts and bumps then dice or slice as required for the recipe.

It can be eaten raw, as in the classic French remoulade, or baked, roasted or sautéed. Note that celeriac does not caramelise well as it is low in starch. My favourite way of serving it is as a purée, cooking it in salted water for 10-15 minutes and then mashing it exactly as I would for potatoes, with some butter, cream or olive oil and lots of salt and pepper.  

Jerusalem Artichokes

The jerusalem artichoke, also known as sunchoke, earth apple or by its French name of topinambur, causes much confusion. It is neither an artichoke nor is it from Jerusalem. It is in fact native to North America where it has been long known the Native Americans.  It's a species of sunflower and the thinking is that the name is a corruption of the Italian name for sunflower – girasole.

The brown tubers with purple hued knuckles look a little like fresh ginger. The crisp, white interior has a very similar flavour to that of a globe artichoke heart, nutty, sweet and quite delicious.

Like celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes are an autumn/winter vegetable. Select firm tubers with as few bumps and lumps as possible, so that peeling is easier and there is not too much waste. Store somewhere cool and dark, as you would potatoes.

Scrub and/or peel depending what you intend to do with them. Again, like celeriac, place in acidulated water to prevent discoloration.

They can be roasted whole in their skins, or steamed, boiled or sautéed. Once cooked, they tend to collapse, so careful attention needs to be given while cooking.

Jerusalem artichokes make a great soup, purée or gratin and are greatly enhanced by butter, cream, herbs. Serve roasted alongside roast beef or chicken. They can also be sliced thinly and eaten raw in salads or fried like potato crisps.

I made the soup at the weekend from what I had in the fridge and it was so delicious I thought I'd share it with you.

Jerusalem and Mushroom Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots or one medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 or 3 rashers of streaky bacon, diced

4-5 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

500-600 grams Jerusalem artichokes (use more if there is a lot of wastage), peeled and diced

3-4 cups of good chicken or vegetable stock

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

cream and chopped parsley or chives to finish

Heat the olive oil gently in a heavy based saucepan and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Sauté until tender then add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms. Increase the heat a little in order to caramelise the bacon and mushrooms a little.

Add the artichokes, tossing to coat for a minute before adding the stock – enough to cover. Reserve the rest as you may want to thin the soup a little once it is puréed.

Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the artichokes are soft when pierced with the point of a knife.

Allow to cool slightly then blend the soup until as smooth as possible. Adjust the seasoning and serve drizzled with a little cream and sprinkled with parsley or chives.

Serves 4