Celeriac Dauphinoise

Something a little different, a celeriac, sage and hazelnut dauphinoise. This recipe was kindly donated to us by Andrew Dargue, the Head Chef at Vanilla Black, the posh veggie restaurant near Chancery Lane. For the more carnivorous, this would be a wonderful accompaniment to a game bird or venison.

INGREDIENTS

Celeriac, Sage and Hazelnut Dauphinoise

1 medium size celeriac
100ml whipping cream
1 small bunch sage roughly chopped
75g roasted hazelnuts roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash
3 leaves sage chopped
1 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bergamot Braised Leeks

2 leeks
50ml dry white wine
20g unsalted butter
Salt
3 or 4 leaves of Bergamot

Spinach Purée

200g leaf spinach
Salt and pepper

METHOD

Celeriac, Sage and Hazelnut Dauphinoise

• Thinly slice the celeriac, preferably on a mandolin.
• Arrange layers of celeriac in a deep roasting tray adding a splash of cream and seasoning between the layers.
• Halfway through add the hazelnuts and sage and continue with the celeriac, cream and seasoning.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. When cooked remove from the oven and flatten down to compact .

Butternut Squash

• Peel and chop the butternut squash.
• Add to a pan, cover with water cook until soft.
• When cooked blend to a purée and add to a pan and heat to evaporate excess water. Season with salt and pepper and add sage and olive oil.

Bergamot Braised Leeks

• Remove the roots and green parts of the leeks and wash the whites.
• Add to a pan with the wine, butter and Bergamot and cook until tender.

Spinach Purée

• Wash the leaves and add to a pan with only the water which clings to them.
• Cook until softened, blend and season.

TO ASSEMBLE

Spoon some spinach onto a plate. Cut out a slice of the celeriac and add to the plate with the leeks and butternut squash. Finish with a few chopped hazelnuts.