Homely Cooking

Celery root looks like something from the prop room of the “Star Trek” series that could easily double for a whorled alien brain with one heck of an ugly mug. As if its low score in the looks department wasn’t enough, this anomaly goes by several aliases: celeriac, turnip-rooted celery, knob celery, celery globes. To confuse matters even more, it isn’t the root of the popular stalk celery we often find on a crudite platter, but rather the root of the less common variety, rapaceum. So it’s no wonder that for nearly 200 years since its introduction to the New World, people have been reaching past celery root to choose other vegetables for dinner.

“It’s not a pretty sight, but it has a lot of uses,” says Suzanne Tracht, co-owner and executive chef of Jar. Arguably the doyenne of celery root in L.A., Tracht uses it in soups, salads, purees, roasted vegetable platters and in slaws to accompany her whole-belly fried clams. “It has an assertive, refreshing taste,” she adds, with flavor notes of celery and parsley but with the crunch of a crisp, just-picked apple. Baked in a potato gratin, the root can hold its own, lending a slight tang guaranteed to keep guests guessing.

Tracht gives some tips to help ease the uncertain dance most shoppers experience when encountering celery root. First, she says, realize it will be dirtier than most vegetables because of all of the nooks created by the gnarl of rootlets. Don’t let that be a turn-off. In fact, it’s a good sign. “It’s probably fresher if it still has a lot of good earth clinging to it.” She also counsels that it should be heavy, not hollow.

When you get your alien vegetable home, scrub and dry it. If you’re not going to use it immediately, store it in a cool place. “A root cellar is perfect,” says Tracht, laughing. She concedes that since most Angelenos are without that resource, it should be stored in the vegetable drawer of the fridge until ready for use.

Now what? “Lop off the bottom quarter, then slice off the stem piece,” she advises. Then using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, peel it as you would a potato or turnip.

But do yourself a favor before cooking with it--slice off a sliver and pop it in your mouth. The fresh, clean taste will win you over, proving the notion that beauty is only skin deep.

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Celery Root and Potato Gratin

Serves 8 to 10

6 slices bacon, diced

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup minced chives

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 medium heads celery root (about 3 pounds total), peeled and quartered

4 large russet potatoes, peeled

Butter for coating pan

1 shallot, minced

2 1/2 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, stir together the cream, chives, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl. With a mandolin or heavy, sharp knife, cut the celery root and the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. Add the slices to the cream mixture as you work so that they won’t become discolored. Using your hands, gently toss the mixture to coat all the slices.

Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or large gratin dish. Add half the slices, pressing down to make an even layer. Sprinkle with the bacon and shallot. Top with the remaining vegetable slices, pouring any cream left in the bowl evenly over the top. Press down on the mixture to make a flat top. Sprinkle with the cheese, then the bread crumbs, and bake until the vegetables are very soft and the top is browned and bubbling, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool 20 minutes before serving to allow the dish to set.

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David Leite last wrote for the magazine about pumpkin cake.