7 hours ago
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The hungry gap is often seen as a tricky time in the kitchen, where the vegetables that have been overwintered or stored are running low, the ground is still cold and there is little growing. But I prefer to see these months as an exciting time to get creative with pickles, ferments and preserves, and to make the most of native root vegetables, such as celeriac, which is earthy, comforting and sweet.
Mussels with celeriac, bacon and cream (pictured top)
Winter is the ideal time for a big pot of mussels, because the cold weather is when their flavour and quality are at their best. The sea-briny sweetness of the shellfish and the earthy richness of celeriac are brought together here by the cream and thyme.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
25g unsalted butter
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
200g smoked bacon, rind removed and discarded, the rest cut into 1cm pieces or lardons
1 small white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
½ small celeriac (about 200g), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
250ml dry cider
250ml double cream
2kg sustainably sourced mussels, washed and beards removed
25g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Put the butter and oil in a deep, heavy-based saute pan for which you have a lid, and set it on a low to medium heat. Once the butter has melted, tip in the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes, to render the fat. Stir in the sliced onion and thyme, season to taste, and cook, stirring, for five to six minutes more. Once the onion is lightly golden, tip in the cubed celeriac and cook gently, stirring from time to time, for 12-15 minutes, until soft and starting to caramelise.
Turn up the heat, add the cider and cream, and bring the mix to just below a boil. Tip in the mussels, give everything a quick stir, then cover and leave to cook for three to five minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until all the mussels are cooked and the shells are open (discard any that refuse to do so).
Take the pan off the heat, gently stir in the parsley and serve straight from the pan with good baguette and more cider.
Celeriac rarebit
Celeriac is one of the few vegetables that’s still in the ground during the winter months. It’s underrated and often the last veg standing in the vegetable box, but it’s also one of the tastiest things you can eat on a cold day. All root vegetables benefit from the temperatures plummeting below freezing, because the starch turns into sugars, meaning the root tastes beautifully sweet and nutty. Celeriac works perfectly with the mellow onions and buttery cheese in this dish, which makes a lovely vegetarian main course, or cut into slices and served with soup.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4-6
1¼kg sea salt, plus ½ tsp extra for the rarebit mix
175g egg whites (ie, about 4-5)
1 medium celeriac (about 600g)
20g unsalted butter
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
75ml cider
200g block cheddar, a good, buttery one, ideally
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. For the salt crust, whisk the 1¼kg salt and egg whites in a large bowl until fluffy.
Clean the celeriac, then trim off the roots and any leaves. Dry the celeriac, put it on a tray and pack the salt and egg white mix all around it, so it’s completely encased. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove and leave to cool slightly.
While the celeriac is roasting, melt the butter and oil in a small casserole pot for which you have a lid. Add the sliced onions, thyme leaves and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and leave to sweat gently, stirring occasionally, for anything up to 40 minutes, until the onions are soft and jammy. Turn up the heat, add the cider, leave to bubble away for a couple of minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated, then take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Slice the cheese into ½cm-thick slabs. Release the celeriac from its salty crust, then peel off the brown, papery skin (or use a thumbnail or small knife to scrape it off). Cut the celeriac into 1cm-thick discs and arrange these in a single layer, spaced apart, on a clean baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Spread a tablespoon or two of the cidery onions on each slice of celeriac, then top with a slice of cheese.
Return to the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling, then serve hot, ideally with a glass of cider.
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Will Devlin is chef/owner of The Small Holding, in Kilndown, near Cranbrook, Kent, and of Birchwood in Flimwell, East Sussex
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The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US.
