Salt-Baked Celeriac with Sour Cherry Glaze and Walnut Crumble

01

Ingredients

• 1 whole celeriac, about 900 g, scrubbed and fine roots trimmed
• 600 g all-purpose flour, for the baking crust
• 600 g coarse salt, for the baking crust
• 420 ml water, plus up to 30 ml more if needed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 200 g frozen unsweetened sour cherries, thawed
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 small inner celery stalk
• 60 ml apple cider vinegar
• 60 ml water
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 60 g walnut halves
• 25 g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 12 small celery leaves

02

Prepare the dish

1. Heat the oven to 200 C. Combine the flour and coarse salt in a large bowl. Add 420 ml water and mix into a firm dough, adding only enough extra water to bring it together.
2. Roll two-thirds of the salt dough into a 1 cm-thick round. Set the celeriac in the centre. Roll the remaining dough, cover the celeriac and pinch both pieces together to seal it completely. Place on a baking tray.
3. Bake for 75 to 85 minutes, until a skewer pushed through the crust meets little resistance in the centre. Rest for 15 minutes, crack away the crust, brush off all salt and peel the celeriac. Cut into twelve 1.5 cm-thick medallions with a 5 cm cutter if a uniform shape is desired.
4. While the celeriac bakes, use a vegetable peeler to shave the celery into long ribbons. Bring 60 ml vinegar, 60 ml water, sugar and salt just to a simmer. Pour over the ribbons, cool for 20 minutes, then drain well.
5. For the glaze, simmer the sour cherries, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons vinegar, mustard and fine salt for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth, pass through a fine sieve and return to low heat until the glaze lightly coats a spoon.
6. Pulse the walnuts into coarse crumbs. Toast them with panko and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in thyme and lemon zest.
7. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a wide non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the celeriac medallions for 2 minutes per side until golden. Lower the heat, add half the cherry glaze and turn the medallions gently until lacquered and hot.