Celeriac and Potatoes au Gratin (V)

Celeriac and Potato au Gratin is a useful side as it's simple to prepare ahead and then put in the oven to heat through. The principal is the same as any other vegetable gratin- thin slices of root veg, in a thick sauce, so that the veg cooks through and binds into a gooey, gorgeous chunk with a crispy top.

What you'll need to serve 3-5
1 Celeriac root
2 large, waxy Potatoes
500ml Milk
Bay leaf
1 small Onion, halved
Peppercorns for seasoning
150g hard Cheese, grated

Starting with the vegetables, peel your celeriac and scrub the potatoes.
Then slice to about 2cm thick- I'm using a mandoline for this, to get even, thin slices, but it's easy enough to do with a sharp knife. Once you have some slices, start layering them in a greased dish, half and half celeriac and potato. Don't worry about overlap, the holes will allow the sauce to permeate.







Whilst you're doing this, you can begin to prepare the sauce. A classic gratin dauphinois uses potatoes and a cheese sauce, but although we're using potato to bulk this dish out, the focus should be on the celeriac, which has a slightly more delicate flavour. To bring it out, use this, simpler sauce.

First, gently heat a pint of milk with the bay leaf, some peppercorns, and half an onion at a low temperature.
After about fifteen minutes, and once you've finished slicing and layering the root vegetables, strain this into a saucepan, then drop in a couple of small chunks of butter which have been rolled in flour.

Then slightly increase the temperature to thicken the sauce, being careful to stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent lumps. Once it's reached your desired consistency, after about five minutes, take it off the heat, ready to be poured over the sliced roots.

The crispy top is what defines cooking "au gratin", but this dish is already so starchy that breadcrumbs would be overkill, so just add a thin layer of grated cheese.

This prepared Gratin will keep covered in the fridge for up to a day until you're ready to put it in the oven, with the pot roast in this case, for 30 minutes at 240ºC/Gas Mark 7, or until the top is nicely browned.

So, here we have the meaty meal as a whole. The basis of this gratin can be used for any type of root vegetable or squash- bear in mind that aubergine or marrow is more delicate and would lose its shape if treated roughly. Hope you enjoy it- don't hesitate to let us know via sharethetable@gmail.com if you do! And if you don't, then why not vent on the discussion board at Facebook?

Pot Roasted Hoggett with mixed vegetables [not (V)] and Potato and Celeriac au Gratin (V)

A pot roast is a great way to get a really succulent roast out of a cheaper cut of meat, or to ensure a properly cooked roast with a minimum of fuss. Whilst new season lamb would be spoiled by such rough treatment, older hoggett like this shoulder joint has a stronger flavour and can carry the rosemary and garlic effectively without being swamped. Use a good sized joint of older lamb or mutton- Leg or shank end, shoulder or middle neck; depending on whether you plan to use the stock for a seperate meal (In which case, get it bone-in) or if you're particularly concerned about carving round a bone (in which case, get your butcher to de-bone the joint, or go for shank end or middle neck).

What you'll need to serve 4-6
For the Pot -
Hoggett Joint, about 4-5lb (1.8-2.25kg)
3 sprigs of Rosemary, torn
3 cloves of Garlic, crushed with skin on
1 large Onion, quartered, skin on
3 Carrots, quartered
1 stick of Celery/ skin of the Celeriac root
3 Bay leaves
Salt and Peppercorns
Enough water to cover two-thirds of the joint
For the Roasting -
2tsp Vegetable Oil
Coarse Salt
A sprig of Rosemary
A clove of Garlic

Pre heat the oven to 120ºC/Gas Mark 1. Put the ingredients in a pan large enough to comfortably accommodate the joint without too much excess space, and be sparing with the water.

Seal the lid tightly (if you have an ill fitting lid, double over a layer of tinfoil and put that over the top of the pan before putting the lid on). Place in the oven and leave to stew for 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and replace to a roasting dish to cool whilst the oven preheats to 240ºC/Gas Mark 7.
Rub down the joint with oil and salt, then pierce the skin in a number of places and insert slivers of garlic and sprigs of rosemary. Place any vegetables to be roasted alongside the joint, and return to the oven for 30 minutes.

The Celeriac and Potatoes au Gratin went in at the same time; look out for that in the next post!

Say Cheese! - Podcast 2

Share the Table Ep02 - Say Cheese! is now available from iTunes (just click the "Subscribe" button to the right), or to stream at Mixcloud or Podbean.

In our second ever podcast, we talk localism, markets, wine and cheese. Thanks to our guests, Joan Jones and Gwilim Owen, who enjoyed pot roasted hoggett; laverbread, leek and carrot cutlets; celeriac and potato au gratin; and a local cheese board.

Remember, you can get in contact if you’d like to share any recipes or indeed, would like to Share The Table with us.