How to make celeriac with coriander, dill and toasted walnuts

Combine the best of winter root vegetables with the freshness of citric flavours for a welcome relief from stodgy dishes. By Julia Platt Leonard

Give classic dauphinoise a makeover with citrus and herbs instead of heavy cream (Photos Julia Platt Leonard)

Citrus is a gift anytime of the year but in the winter it’s even more welcome.

While winter root-vegetable staples like turnips, parsnips and celeriac are perfect for a hearty gratin or a riff on creamy dauphinoise, sometimes something lighter and fresher is in order.

Citrus gets double billing in this dish – first to infuse olive oil for pan-frying the celeriac, and then a second lemon to spike a sauce made with coriander and dill.

The oil used to fry the celeriac isn’t wasted either, but used to make the sauce.

Lightly pan-frying the celeriac then roasting it keeps it moist and tender.

If you don’t like coriander, you could substitute parsley and change the spices for the oil infusion too – fennel would be lovely as would celery seed or even mustard seed.

Celeriac with coriander, dill and toasted walnuts

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

1 celeriac
50 ml olive oil
1 lemon, peeled into strips
½ tsp coriander seeds
5 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
35g coriander, coarsely chopped
15g dill, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, finely zested, plus a few squeezes of juice
50g toasted walnuts
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 220C. Pour the olive oil into a casserole, add the lemon peel, coriander, peppercorns and bay leaf. The oil should come about ½ cm up the side of the pan. Heat on low-medium for about 10-15 minutes to infuse the oil.

While the oil is heating, peel the celeriac, slice into 1cm wedges and then the wedges into quarters. When the oil is infused, remove the lemon peel and bay leaf and turn the heat up to medium.

Pan fry the celeriac in batches for about 7-10 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking. The celeriac will go from a pale, creamy colour to a deeper yellow. Transfer to a baking sheet, sprinkle generously with sea salt and place in the oven.

Roast for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through the cooking time. Strain the olive oil to remove the spices and allow the oil to cool.

While the celeriac is roasting, blitz the dill, coriander and lemon zest in the small bowl of a food processor or in a mini-blender with about 50ml of the cooled, infused oil. If you don’t have enough oil, top up with additional new olive oil. Taste and add a few squeezes of lemon juice, salt to taste, and a bit more oil if needed. The mixture should be thick but pourable.

Remove the roasted celeriac from the oven, place on a serving dish and top with the dill and coriander mixture. Garnish with the chopped walnuts and serve warm.

@juliapleonard