For many centuries this remained a whitish-green, bulky and rather uninspiring lump of a vegetable. But celeriac dealers the world over danced for joy when the French – who else? – miraculously transformed it into glorious celeriac rémoulade simply by grating it and mixing it with mayonnaise, herbs and capers: an upmarket coleslaw for those in the know. Though it looks like a misshapen swede, it's tastes similar to celery – both belong to the parsley family – and is often known as celery root. Pick a medium-sized celeriac if you can. In season from October to February.
Recipes with celeriac
Celeriac and potato dauphinoise
Celeriac soup with curry oil
Liver and bacon with celeriac smash