Baked celeriac with spiced quinoa, kale & hazelnuts
You can roast a celeriac in chunks, but it can go a bit mushy. Baking it whole takes a bit longer, but the flesh stays firm as the heat and salt draw away moisture. Cut into steak-like pieces, it makes for a toothsome centrepiece. Although this dish seems complete, it is perfect as part of a veggie or vegan Christmas dinner with all the trimmings – the quinoa will cope with a good vegan gravy. You may want to remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon before mixing everything together; some people are happy to just eat around them.
Cook's notes
You may want to remove the cardamom pods and cinnamon before mixing everything together; some people are happy to just eat around them.
Ingredients
- 1 large celeriac
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- 1 orange
- 150g quinoa
- 1 pinch of saffron - optional
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp cardamom pods
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 head of black kale
- 25g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
- olive oil
- small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 40g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Wash the celeriac and rub the outside with mustard. Season it very generously with salt – the mustard allows the salt to stick to the celeriac. Place it in the oven and bake gently for 2-3 hours, or until completely soft in the centre. Leave to cool for 20 mins.
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Step 2
Put a kettle on to boil. Use a peeler to remove 4 long strips of zest from the orange. Put a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the quinoa, spices and orange zest. Dry fry in the pan for about 2 mins, until smelling fragrant.
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Step 3
Tip in 400ml of boiling water, season well with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12 mins, until the grains are tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
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Step 4
While the quinoa is cooking, strip the kale leaves away from the stalks and tear them into bitesize pieces. Cook them in a saucepan with a dash of water and a pinch of salt for 3-4 mins, until wilted. Add a dash more water if they look like drying out and catching in the pan.
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Step 5
When the quinoa is ready, stir in the kale, cranberries and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper and a squeeze or 2 of orange juice. Cover and leave to rest while you finish the celeriac.
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Step 6
Cut the skin away from the celeriac and then cut into 2cm thick slices. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and cook the slices until golden brown, about 3-4 mins a side.
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Step 7
Pile the warm quinoa onto a serving plate and lay the celeriac slices on top. Scatter over the parsley and hazelnuts to garnish.