Mashed Celery Root

There's something very nostalgic about serving mashed potatoes with a holiday meal, but there are many ways to upgrade the classic without sacrificing the dish's integrity. I've done mashed sweet potatoes in the past, but this celery root (also known as celeriac) version is even closer to the original. It can be intimidating to work with celery root since the big, gnarly heads are one of the uglier vegetables I've seen, but after you slice away the outer peel it very much resembles the white flesh of a potato. I just boil it until tender, drain off all liquid, and then mash it with butter and milk. The end result looks exactly like mashed potatoes but with a nuttier, more pronounced taste. It's a great way to sneak extra vegetables into a meal, and you might even like it better than the traditional dish.



Mashed Celery Root:

• Trim the ends off of 1 large head of celery root, cut off and discard the outer skin, and dice into uniform pieces.
• Place into a pot, along with 1 peeled and diced Russet potato, and cover with cold water.
• Bring pot to a boil and cook for 10-20 minutes* or until vegetables are tender.
• Drain all water out of the pot and return to the stove over very low heat.
• Allow vegetables to dry out for a minute on the stove, then mash with 1/2 c. milk and 1 tbsp. butter.
• Season with salt and pepper and add more liquid if necessary until you have a smooth, flavorful mash.

Serves three-four (side dish)

*Cooking time will depend on how large the vegetables are diced.