SALT BAKED CELERIAC WITH MINT PISTACHIO PESTO

I’ve only just discovered salt baking vegetables, and it’s such a delicious way to cook them! It does take a little planning as they need to bake for a while, but requires very little effort other than that. Salt baking cooks the vegetable so it’s lovely and tender but doesn’t lose any flavour. In fact the salt brings out the natural flavour of the celeriac without making it salty.

Served here cold and simply with a little mint dressing, lemon zest & chili. This would be great straight out of the oven still warm too.

Serves 2 as a side

1 small celeriac

2 cups salt or more if needed

zest of 1 lemon

1 red chili, sliced

Mint pesto

50g mint

50g pistachio

Juice of half lemon

175ml olive oil

Pinch sea salt

Pre heat over 175c. Scrub your celeriac to remove all the dirt. Place a layer of salt in a small roasting dish, place the wet celeriac on top. Cover completely with salt so there’s no gaps. Bake for about 1 ½ hours – 2 hours, depending on the size of your celeriac.

While it’s cooking make your pesto -

Blitz all ingredients in food processor or pestle & mortar, I like to leave it a little chunky.

When the celeriac is ready, remove from the oven, then once cool enough to handle, break off the salt. Peel off the skin, and thinly slice. Arrange on a plate and drizzle over your mint pesto, grate the zest of the lemon over the celeriac, with some black pepper & sliced red chili.