When I talked about the Ina Garten booking signing last week I told you the staff at Williams Sonoma fed us what I thought was creamy mashed potatoes turns out we were sampling the Barefoot Contessa’s Celery Root Puree.  Ever since I got her book I have been cooking almost every night which is a big change for me. Its’ all part of my getting back to basics plan and I’ll admit my family is a little burned out on delivery pizza.

In the store they look like something you throw away. Just a few green stalks attached to its massive root ball. You are going to need 2 large root balls (about 5lbs). Celeriac or celery root is actually a type of celery, its only grown for its root and unlike other root vegetables it contains only 5-6% starch. It can be keep in the fridge for up to 4 months.

My son said it looked it looked like Wilson… I have to agree there!

This recipe couldn’t be easier. It is the perfect comfort food for those cold nights. I lovingly referred it to my new favorite baby food as I polished of mine and then continued to eat everyone else’s. Hubby thought he has getting mashed potatoes and high fived the table when I informed him he was actually eating a vegetable. Dinner was so easy, I bought a premade meatloaf and served it sliced on top of the puree, tossed a salad and I created a dinner for 4 under $20 bucks.

modchik recipe tips: if you are using a taller pot (like my 5qt I used) cook the root longer and stir occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly) Don’t worry if you see the cream starting to curdle (get clumpy) it doesn’t matter once you puree the mixture. You could also puree in a blender if you don’t have a food processor.

Celery Root Puree

by Ina Garten

Ingredients

5 pounds celery root (2 large)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Peel the celery roots with a large chef’s knife and cut each one in half. With the cut side down, cut it in 1/2-inch dice, removing any brown spots. Be careful-keep your fingers out of the way of the knife! (reminds me of this post)

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery root and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring to coat with the butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once, until the celery root is very tender.

In batches, transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and reheat gently over low heat. Check the seasonings-it should be very highly seasoned-and serve hot.

Serves 6 to 8

click here for the free recipe download!