Celeriac Dip with Za’atar, Almonds & Garlic

I’ve had better harvests, I admit. The celeriac crop this year is, and this is being generous, a collection of golf balls; more straggly root than flesh and with frequent incursions by slugs. They looked promising initially – lots of pert green growth on top. But that was just a cover for the failures below ground. All mouth and no trousers.

Still, if you can be bothered to take a machete to the greenery and then chisel away the mud caking the root to find the now walnut sized piece of usable flesh within, there’s much that can be done with a celeriac.

• Roast it with miso, sesame and seaweed (you can find this recipe on my Instagram here)

• Chop into matchsticks and mix with apple and mayo for a crunchy remoulade that’s great with steak

• Sweat gently with butter and milk for a creamy, wholesome soup (again, recipe on Instagram here)

I thought I’d done just about all there was to do with celeriac. But last time I was at River Cottage (see my blog for them here about my trip) and they served labneh with za’atar, almonds and garlic oil. It was a glorious combination. And it got me thinking. Might that work with celeriac too?… 

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Celeriac dip with Za'atar, Almonds and Garlic

Yield: 3-4

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

This rich and velvety dip feels exotic despite being made with the most humble of veg. Quick, simple, vegetarian, tasty and healthy it ticks all the boxes.

Ingredients

• 1 large celeriac
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 garlic clove
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp za’atar

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
2. Peel the celeriac and chop it into 2cm chunks. Toss in 2 tbsp of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes until golden brown, soft and maybe a little charred in places.
3. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan until they fill the room with their fragrance and are just turning brown. Tip them onto a plate so they don’t over-toast in the pan and set aside.
4. For the garlic oil, simply crush the whole garlic clove with the flat of a knife and pop it and the olive oil in a small saucepan. Warm very gently for 2-3 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to infuse whilst the celeriac finishes cooking.
5. Once the celeriac is done, put it in a food processor with 1 tbsp olive oil, a dash of water and a pinch of salt and whizz to a puree. You may need to add a little more water to achieve a smooth, velvety consistency. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
6. To serve, spread the puree nice and thick over a small plate. Scatter the almonds and za’atar on top then drizzle over the garlic oil. Serve with bread or crudités (or just eat with a spoon!).

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