Inspiration for this dish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the Dinnertime Somewhere household we watch a lot of cooking TV. Perhaps like many of you, throwing on some cooking shows is a great way to enjoy some low effort TV while we\u2019re winding down for the day. I\u2019ve noticed over the last 6 months or so that Celery Root is popping up everywhere. From Top Chef to every show you can think of on the Food Network, everyone seems to be cooking with Celery Root!
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I feel this is mainly due to Celery Root being a much more unique and perhaps interesting ingredient than Potatoes! Making a Potato Mash doesn\u2019t sound too fancy on a cooking competition does it? But, making Celery Root Mash just sounds so much fancier!
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![\"Celery](\"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Celery-Root-Gratin-10-1024x1024.jpg\")
What is the difference between Celery Root and Potato?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While their texture and appearance (once prepared) are quite similar, the flavor is very different. I would say Potatoes offer more of a neutral, slightly earthy flavor and really benefit from the ingredients they are cooked with. Celery Root on the other hand has a very strong Celery flavor. It\u2019s an ingredient to be wary of when using, because you need to consider using ingredients to complement the Celery flavor, and not compete with it
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The good news is that Celery Root pairs with so many ingredients. Celery is one of the main ingredients in mirepoix (being Carrots, Onion, and Celery) and it forms the base for millions of dishes. So you can pair loads of amazing ingredients with Celery Root and it\u2019s going to taste great
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For our Celery Root Gratin, the core ingredients other than the Celery Root are Cream, Shallots, Garlic, and Cheese. This combination of flavors is fantastic however you prepare them, but especially good (and indulgent) when baked into a cheesy, rich Gratin!
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![\"Tasty](\"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Celery-Root-Gratin-1-1024x1024.jpg\")
How to make Celery Root Gratin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This recipe is like our classic Potato Gratin recipe<\/a> and produces that amazingly rich and creamy textured result. The only difference between the two recipes is the portions of liquid. I have found that Celery Root does not absorb as much liquid as Potatoes, so therefore does not need as much Cream as you would add to traditional Potatoes Gratin To prepare the Celery Root, first slice away the outer skin to reveal the beautiful white flesh inside. We want to thinly slice the Celery Root into strips, so the best way to do this is with a mandoline. If you don\u2019t have a mandoline that\u2019s ok, you can use a sharp knife. Just take your time and be careful, as we want to cut the strips quite thin A mandoline is the best option here as you can produce even strips of thin Celery Root. The more even the strips you can cut the better, as that will ensure an even cook To allow the Celery Root to begin to absorb the Cream, Place the thin slices into a large bowl and add your Heavy Cream. To the Cream we also want to add some Milk, Garlic (you can either use Powder or finely diced fresh Garlic), Thyme, Salt, Pepper, and Shallots Add a generous amount of Salt and Pepper, as like Potatoes, Celery Root loves Salt and can take on quite a lot of it. The Salt will help to bring out the amazing flavor of the ingredient, so be generous. Give the Celery Root a good stir through so it\u2019s covered in the Cream then allow it to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature Once you reach the top, finish the assembly by adding a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan Cheese and some dried Herbs We create a Gratin in a similar way you would a Lasagna, by layering the strips of Celery Root then adding Cheese in between each layer into a deep sided baking dish. You don\u2019t need to be super precise about your layers of Celery Root, just ensure you\u2019ve got full coverage on each layer Once you\u2019ve added a layer of Celery Root, add a small amount of your Cheese Mix (we used a combination of Cheddar and Parmesan). Don\u2019t add too much, just a light sprinkle. You\u2019ll probably get about 8 \u2013 10 layers into a typical baking tray, so there will end up being quite a lot of cheese in there anyway Also try to ensure that you get an even amount of the Garlic and Shallots from the Cream liquid into each layer. You\u2019ll need to dig around with your hands to the bottom of the bowl to get those Garlicky, Oniony bits, but it\u2019s well worth the mess Once you\u2019ve completed your layering, pour in a little bit of extra Cream (about \u00bd cup is enough) then finish with a more generous sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese and finish with some dried Herbs (we went for Oregano). Now your Celeriac Gratin is ready to be baked in the oven! The cooking time is a lot longer than you think; I\u2019ve found that this dish requires about 2 \u00bd – 3 hours of total baking time to ensure the Celery Root is cooked well and becomes nice and tender. This long cooking time is due to the overall density of the dish. We\u2019ve loaded this thing up with a whole Celery Root and lots of Cream and Cheese, so it\u2019s going to take some cooking Cover the whole dish with foil and place it in the oven at 350F. Cook it for about 2 \u00bd hours and then check the doneness of the Celery Root by stabbing it with a sharp knife. If the is little to no resistance when stabbing it, it\u2019s cooked. If there\u2019s a lot of resistance to the knife, put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes then check again For the last 10 – 15 minutes, remove the foil and switch the oven to broil. This will allow the top of the Gratin to caramelize and get a wonderful, charred color to it. When broiling anything I like to keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn\u2019t burn You may think at this point we\u2019re all done and it\u2019s time to dive in. Not so fast! Once the Gratin is cooked it\u2019s going to be a billion degrees inside. What you need to do is remove it from the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to cool This step is critical, because it will allow the dish to settle and keep its shape as it cools. If you cut into a Gratin straight out of the oven you\u2019re going to end up with a soupy, messy dish. Give it some time to cool so when you cut it out of the pan it will retain it\u2019s beautiful shape It\u2019s tough because the temptation to dive in and eat it immediately is great! Especially given how amazing the dish smells. Just be patient however! Hey, you can use these 20 minutes to make some amazing Steak recipes<\/a> that\u2019ll go great with this Cheesy Celery Root Gratin dish
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nSoak the Celery Root in seasoned Heavy Cream for 30 minutes before assembly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Gratin](\"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Celery-Root-Gratin-9-1024x1024.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nAssembling the Celery Root Gratin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cooking the Gratin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Celery](\"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Celery-Root-Gratin-2-1024x1024.jpg\")
The most important step when making Gratin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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