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 Celeriac
BENEFITS
• Low in calories with small amounts of vitamins C and B6
DRAWBACKS
• Not readily available in many supermarkets and produce stores
A winter root vegetable,
celeriac is a member of the parsley family and is closely related to celery;
in fact, its other names include celery root, knob celery, and German
celery. Fresh celeriac resembles a large, round, knobby turnip, but when the
tough outer skin is peeled away, the flesh is white, with a flavor and odor
similar to celery.
Celeriac has a mild, celerylike
flavor and lends itself to a variety of dishes. For example, it is often
grated raw into salads, boiled and pureed to add body and flavor to soups
and stews, chopped into poultry stuffing, or sliced, dipped in an egg
batter, and sauteed to serve as a meat substitute. It is also served as an
accompaniment to haddock, salmon, and spicy pork. The French cut celeriac
into thin strips, blanch them, and toss them with a mustard-mayonnaise
dressing to make an alternative to celery salad.
A half-cup serving of cooked
celeriac contains 25 calories, 1.5 g of fiber, 5 mg of vitamin C, and some
B6 and phosphorus. It is nutritionally similar to celery, although it
contains slightly more folate and iron. |
