Celeriac risotto is a dish that needs no introduction. Incorporating black truffles and celeriac, it emerges as a delicacy with a taste so amazing that it can transcend one to heaven. Black truffles are the highlight of the dish and while truffles are not that attractive to look at, they are easily one of the most delicious yet expensive foods in the world. Despite many efforts to grow this fungus in different parts of the world, they are mostly found growing wild around the roots of lime, hazel and oak trees.
Celeriac risotto is a very popular French dish and the exquisite combo of truffles and celeriac renders a dish that never fails to strike a chord with anyone. Cleric risotto is known to be an excellent main course dish. Enchanting millions across the globe, celeriac risotto breathes to life the notion of fine dining that can be enjoyed within the confines of home.
Recipe
The preparation takes less than 30 minutes. The cooking time is more than 2 hours and the recipe serve four.
Celeriac 1 head
White wine vinegar 50 ml or 2 fl oz
Winkles 500 grams or 2 oz
Chicken stock 500 ml or 18 fl oz
Butter 50 grams
Black truffle (chopped finely) 1
Mascarpone 150 grams or 5.5 oz
parmesan 150 grams or 5.5 oz
Reduced chicken stock 150 ml or 5 fl
Pomelo (segmented and peeled) 1
Celery (only leaves) 1 stick
Instructions:
Take the celeriac. Wash and peel it while keeping the peel aside. Chop the celeriac’s 500 grams or 2 oz of the flesh roughly. Cut the rest of the celeriac into very small pieces resembling the shape of dice. The size should approximately be that of the grains of rice. Now take a saucepan and add 500 ml of water into it. Add the celeriac peel kept aside into the water and bring it to a boil. Now allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes. Use a fine sieve and strain the celeriac peel through it and keep the stock aside. Now take salted water in a pan and boil it. Once it boils, add the celeriac chopped roughly and allow it to simmer for 10-12 minutes until it softens. Drain the water and place the chopped celeriac into a food processor. Add 50 ml of the white wine vinegar to the food processor and blend it to a fine puree. Again pass it through a sieve. Take another pan of salted water and cook winkles in the boiling water for one minute after adding the white wine vinegar. Drain all the water from the winkles. Use the shell to pick them and remove the foot and waste sack. Cover the winkles with chicken stock in a saucepan. Simmer and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Take a non-stick pan and heat it. Add butter and diced celeriac and cook for a minute. Add little celeriac stock as if you are making a risotto. When you know that the stock has been absorbed, add more and keep adding until the celeriac is tender. It will take around 5-6 minutes. Add the truffle and cook it for a minute. Once it is cooked, add parmesan, reduced chicken stock and mascarpone to it. Add winkles and stir.
To serve, dish out the celeriac puree in a soup plate placing the risotto on top. Garnish with segments of Pomelo and a little leaf of celery on top.