Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Main
- 800 g celeriac, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
- 500 ml whole milk
- 60 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 5 g sea salt
- 10 ml lemon juice
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 268 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 25 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 740 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 45 mg
- Potassium
- 771 mg
- Calcium
- 231 mg
- Iron
- 1.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 53 mg
- Phosphorus
- 339 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 160 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 83 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 1.5 mg
- Folate
- 23 mcg
- Water
- 291 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a sharp knife, cut away the thick, knobby skin of the celeriac until only the creamy white flesh remains. Dice into uniform 2cm cubes.
Place the celeriac cubes, milk, and half the salt in a large saucepan. Ensure the milk just covers the vegetables (add a splash of water if necessary). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat immediately to a gentle simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the celeriac is completely tender and offers no resistance when pierced with a knife.
Drain the celeriac through a colander, reserving the hot cooking milk in a separate bowl. Do not discard the liquid.
Transfer the hot celeriac to a blender. Add the lemon juice and a small splash (about 30ml) of the reserved cooking milk. Puree on high speed.
With the blender running, gradually add the cold butter cubes one by one to emulsify. Adjust consistency with more reserved milk if needed until it reaches a thick, velvety texture.
For a Michelin-level texture, pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve (chinois) into a warm serving bowl. Season with remaining salt to taste.
Chef's Notes
- To keep the puree snowy white, ensure you peel away all green parts of the root and cook entirely in milk rather than water.
- Celeriac absorbs liquid differently than potatoes. Add the reserved liquid slowly; you can always add more, but you cannot take it out.
- The lemon juice is critical not just for flavor balance, but to prevent the puree from oxidizing and turning grey as it sits.
- This dish is an excellent low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes on a holiday table.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent skin formation.
Freezer: 1 month — Texture may degrade slightly; reheat gently while whisking.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of milk or water to loosen consistency.
Troubleshooting
Texture is grainy or lumpy
Cause: Celeriac was undercooked or blender speed was too low
Fix: Pass through a fine-mesh sieve twice to remove lumps
Prevention: Cook until the vegetable falls apart when touched; use a high-speed blender
Milk scorched on bottom of pan
Cause: Heat was too high during simmering
Fix: Do not scrape the bottom of the pan when pouring out; taste the milk. If burnt, rinse celeriac and blend with fresh cream/milk
Prevention: Simmer gently; milk boils over and burns easily at high temps
Cultural Context
Known in France as Purée de Céleri-Rave, this dish highlights the often-overlooked celery root. It became a staple in French bistros as a winter accompaniment that offers the comfort of a starch with a more complex, herbaceous flavor profile suitable for cutting through rich sauces.
