So for dinner tonight I figured I had better use up the celeriac that had been sitting aging in the fridge. Celeriac’s flavour, while distinct, is mild, so I wanted some mild flavours to balance, but not overpower. I had lots of onions, so thought i would try caramelizing the onions, and add some potatoes to the mix. Is definitely worth making for another dinnertime — possible change for next round would be to brighten with a bit of lemon juice at the end, or try roasted lemons simmered in the broth and removed before pureeing.
Caramelized Onion, Celeriac and Potato Soup
3 cups onions, sliced thin from pole to pole
5-6 medium garlic cloves
1/2 cup sherry
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
4 cups celeriac, diced
3 cups potatoes, diced
8 cups stock
Saute the onions over medium-high heat, reduce heat and cook until caramelized. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Deglaze with sherry, and cook until sherry is reduced by 1/2.
Add celery seed, celeriac, potatoes and stock, and bring to a simmmer. Cook until celeriac and potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat and puree. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
To go with the soup, I made an Olive-Feta-Shallot roll using the Buttermilk bread dough from the Artisan Bread book.
I think i like this dough even better than the enriched sandwich dough, so will probably have a batch of this going every other dough cycle. The Feta cheese was pre-crumbled with garlic and herbs, the olives were marinated, and the shallots just sliced thin and sprinkled on the dough raw — roll everything up, and let the dough rest for about 1 hour before baking — voila — tasty bread to go with the soup.
Finally, I leave you with my attempt to turn a humble muffin into food p*rn!