Celeriac, soused mushrooms, smoked bacon, cream cheese and apple

Serves: 2
Course: Side Dish
Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 small celeriac
  • 180g duck fat
  • Peel of 1 lemon
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • Salt
  • A sprig of thyme
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4 flatcap mushrooms, trimmed
  • A drizzle of malt vinegar
  • A few sage leaves
  • 4 smoked streaky rashers
  • 1 brioche bun, halved
  • 1 tbsp light cream cheese
  • Apple, thinly sliced
  •  

1 Set the oven to 160 degrees.

2 Trim the skin from the celeriac with a serrated knife then cut it in half. Cut the celeriac into 2cm slices then put in a casserole along with the duck fat, lemon, cloves, peppercorns, salt, thyme and garlic. Put in the oven for 1 hour until the celeriac is soft and tender.

3 Remove the celeriac from the casserole and put it on a roasting tray, draining off the excess fat.

4 Turn the oven up to 200 degrees.

5 Put the mushrooms beside the celeriac then sprinkle the malt vinegar over the top and season.

6 Put the sage on next, then drape the bacon over the top of the mushrooms.

7 Place under the grill for 10 minutes or so, using the last couple of minutes to toast the brioche.

8 Smear the cream cheese on the brioche then assemble everything nicely with the apple on top. The celeriac would be a lovely accompaniment to a Sunday roast.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford