Vegetarian mains
Frying pan celeriac gratin
Traditional gratins are usually baked in the oven for a long time, but we're speeding things up by cooking it all in a frying pan. Seasonal celeriac, leek and juicy portobello mushrooms are tossed in a cheese and crème fraîche sauce. As it's rich, this needs nothing more than some simple shredded greens on the side.
Ingredients
- 400g celeriac
- 1 leek
- 10g rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves
- 25g butter
- oil for frying
- 200g portobello mushrooms
- 10g plain flour
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 250g crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
- 40g Italian style hard cheese, grated
- 150g spring greens
- salt and pepper
- 1 lemon
Method
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Step 1
Put a medium saucepan of salted water on to boil. Peel and thinly slice (no more than ½cm) the celeriac. Halve any larger pieces. Boil for 5-6 mins, until just tender to a knife tip (if it's too soft, it will fall apart). Drain it well, then transfer to a plate.
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Step 2
Trim the leek, halve lengthways, then cut into ½cm slices. Wash well to remove any grit. Finely chop 1 good tbsp of rosemary. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
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Step 3
Melt the butter and ½ tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Gently fry the leek, garlic and rosemary for 10 mins, stirring often, while you slice the mushrooms (approx. 1cm).
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Step 4
Transfer the leek to a plate. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same pan. Stir-fry the mushrooms on a medium-high heat for 4-5 mins, until softened (do in 2 batches if needs be). Transfer to another plate. Remove the pan from the heat.
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Step 5
Preheat your grill to medium-high. Put the frying pan back on the heat. Stir in the leek, flour, bouillon, crème fraîche, mustard, grated cheddar, ½ the Italian cheese and 250ml of boiled water. Stir on a low-medium heat for 2-3 mins, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season. Take the pan off the heat.
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Step 6
Layer the mushrooms and celeriac in the pan. Gently turn them to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining Italian cheese. Grill for 6-7 mins, until golden, while you continue.
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Step 7
Strip the spring green leaves off their stalks. Wash them, roll them up, then thinly shred. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the saucepan. Cook the greens on a medium heat for 3-4 mins, until wilted. Add a splash of water to help them along if needed. Season and add lemon juice to taste. Serve with the celeriac gratin.