Celery Root Purée With Truffle Butter Food

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TRUFFLED POTATO CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Melt the unsalted butter in a medium (10-inch) saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the potatoes, celery root, heavy cream, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to very low, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Be careful?don't let the vegetables scorch on the bottom of the pan!
• In two batches, pour the leek and potato mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the puree to the saute pan, stir in the truffle butter, taste for seasonings, and keep warm over very low heat. If the puree gets too thick, add a little more heavy cream.
• If it hasn't already been removed, peel off the tough strip of muscle on the side of each scallop. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and, when the oil is almost smoking hot, add the scallops in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottoms. Don't crowd the scallops or they'll steam rather than sear. Using a small metal spatula, turn the scallops and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until just cooked through.
• Spoon the warm puree onto 3 dinner plates. Place the scallops on the puree, drizzle with the basil oil, and sprinkle with the chives. Serve warm.

CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Place the celery root in a large pot and cover it with the milk by a few inches. (You may not need to use all the milk.) Add a few pinches of salt along with some freshly grated nutmeg. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the celery root is fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup milk, then return the celery root to the pot.
• Place the pot over medium heat and let the celery root dry out for a minute or 2. Add the reserved milk and mash or puree using a potato masher or blender until very smooth. Check for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

CELERIAC PUREE (CELERY ROOT PUREE)

Steps:

• Clean and peel celeriac root and cut into chunks.
• Place celeriac root chunks into a large pot of water with garlic cloves (there should be an inch or two of water above the celeriac, basically ensuring that it is fully submerged and covered by the water). Bring to a boil, cover with lid ajar and cook for 20 minutes or until celeriac is tender. Drain. Note: As you are cooking the celeriac, reduce the heat, if necessary, while still maintaining a boil.
• Meanwhile, combine heavy cream, milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan or pot over medium-low heat until warmed through (to remove the chill from the dairy so it doesn't cool down your celeriac when added).
• Place cooked celeriac root into a large mixing bowl, along with cream mixture. Use a hand mixer to combine everything until nice and creamy (alternatively, if you just want to rice and/or mash, that's okay too). Note: If your quantity of celeriac root is less that what was used here, you may want to use a little less of the cream/milk mixture.
• Transfer the puree to a serving dish and top with more melted butter and chives, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Place celery root, 1/2 of the lemon juice, and kosher salt in a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Blend celery root, cream, and butter in a blender until smooth. Push puree into a bowl through a fine-mesh strainer with a wooden spoon or spatula until puree is completely smooth. Drizzle remaining lemon juice into puree and season with salt and cayenne pepper.

CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 4 quart saucepan. When hot, add onion, cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.
• While this is cooking, peel the celery knob with a stainless steel knife, chop it roughly, then grate it in a food processor.
• Add celery knob to saucepan along with potato, 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until celery knob is tender.
• Transfer contents of saucepan to a food mill or processor and puree with butter or cream; adjust salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

CELERY ROOT AND POTATO PUREE

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a pot large enough to accommodate the celery root and the potatoes. Add enough water to cover the vegetables by 2 inches and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the celery root and cook until both vegetables are fork tender. Strain the celery root and potatoes.
• Pour the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, pass the celery root and potatoes through a food mill into a large bowl. Add one-quarter of the hot cream and 2 pats of the butter. Stir vigorously until the cream and butter are thoroughly combined. Repeat for the remaining cream and butter. Taste for seasoning, you will probably have to add salt. Serve in a warm serving bowl immediately or keep warm until ready to use.

TRUFFLED BAY SCALLOPS WITH CELERY PURéE

Steps:

• Make celery purée:
• Simmer broth, celery, potato, onion, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small heavy saucepan, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add parsley and cook, uncovered, 1 minute. Purée mixture in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Keep warm in saucepan.
• Cook scallops:
• Pat scallops dry and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté scallops until barley cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add truffle butter and stir until melted, then transfer scallops with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Stir celery purée into truffle butter in skillet. Spoon onto plates, then mound scallops in center and sprinkle with celery leaves.
• Do Ahead
• Purée (without truffle butter) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan over low heat before stirring into truffle butter.

CELERY ROOT PUREE

Steps:

• Place celery roots, rice, garlic, and milk in a medium saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until roots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes (milk may look curdled).
• Pour contents of pan into a food processor; add butter, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce and Mushrooms.

CELERY ROOT PURéE

Steps:

• Bring milk, water, and salt just to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add celery root cubes, potato cubes, and onion quarters; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding cooking liquid.
• Combine vegetables and butter in processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Do ahead Celery root puree can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in microwave before serving.
• Transfer celery root puree to bowl. Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives and serve.