Every seen Harry Potter? Do you remember the Mandrake Root? The little plant that when you pulled out of the ground it would scream its head off? Well, celery root almost looks like that. Just in the fact that they both look so gnarly and inedible. It doesn’t scream when pulled out of the ground though, so no need to worry.
Celery root is actually very edible and rather tasty. Plus, with fall approaching, it’ll be in season so you’ll be seeing a lot of it at your grocery store. The first time I cooked with celery root was three years ago when I lived in Santa Barbara with a house full of five other girls. I don’t remember how I came across it or even how I knew what to do with it, but I do remember my roommates acting very intrigued.
“You’re going to EAT that thing?!”
They all sat around and watched while I removed the outer layer and started slicing the root into fry sizes. Once I had finished cooking them, the little fries were unrecognizable from the original form it took. I offered my roommates to try some. Needless to say, they were a little wary to try it after seeing the original gnarly, root-y shape, but once they got up the courage to try it, they ended up taking seconds, thirds, and fourths!
Try something new this fall and buy a celery root! I swear, it’s waaaay tastier than it looks!
Celery Root Fries
serves 1
Ingredients:
1 celery root (you lose a lot while trimming off the outer edges, so try and get a larger one)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional–for those who like a little spice in their life)
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the top of the celery root off. This will be used as your starting point for cutting off the outer edges.
3. Using a sharp knife, slice off the fibrous-y outer layer until it resembles a peeled potato.
4. Cut the root into thin, french fry shaped strips and put onto a cookie sheet. Add the remaining ingredients and toss until each fry is coated.
5. Put in the oven for about 25 minutes or until its reached your desired crispiness. Serve with a chicken burger or maybe even a steak! I paired mine with a nice big steak and some green beans 🙂
Autumn, the Healthy Foody 