Closely related to celery, this plant develops a knobby cricket sized root with a crisp texture and intense celery flavuor. (The stalks and leaves are not eaten.) Celeriac is a favourite vegetable in France and Italy, where it is eaten both raw and cooked. Cooked celeriac and potato complement one another, and the two vegetables are often combined in one dish. Like celery, this autumn and winter vegetable can also be used as a flavouring.

Celeriac is low in calories, with about 25 in approx 100g. Vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorus are the key nutrients.

Buying
Look for smallish, heavy, firm celeriac roots; although the outside may be dirty, it should be free of deep dents, cuts, or soft spots. If the stems and leaves are attached, they should be fresh and green.

Preparation
No matter how you're cooking celeriac, it needs to be scrubbed well. It can be baked in its skin, then peeled; for other cooking methods, the thick skin should be pared off first. Slice or dice celeriac and braise or boil it until tender, or grate it or cut it into thin sticks for serving raw (in salads or as a crudite, with a creamy yoghurt dressing or dip).