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So when I saw the knobby rough contours of a celery root at Treasure Island, I knew it had to come home with me pronto. It helped that I had already taken a cut of beef shoulder out of the freezer with the intention of cooking a nice long braise, and I was already thinking carrots, leeks and fennel. The fennel was on the small side and I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to get two of them or do without, and it was while I was trying to decide whether or not to buy some that my eyes fell on the celery root. I threw it in my cart before I could talk myself out of it.
And two fennel bulbs went into the cart as well, of course.
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But it did not take long, and it was easy peasy to cut it into a nice chop once it was peeled.
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I took the meat out of the oven, turning it down to 325 deg. F., and then I added a generous tablespoon of tomato paste to the sauteeing vegetables. I let the paste cook for a couple of minutes before adding the meat.
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I thought about using wine, or broth, or something with more flavor than water to the roast, but I didn't really have anything on hand and I didn't want to use the rest of my chicken stock. I figured the beef, the vegetables, and the spices would bring flavor enough.
I brought the pot to a boil, covered it, and put it into the 325-degree oven. I set the timer for one-and-a-half hours and went about my business. When the timer went off, I checked the pot. It was simmering a little more heartily than I wanted, so I lowered the heat just a little and set the timer again for one-and-a-half hours. When it went off this time, I tested the meat with a fork and when I saw that it was ready to shred off the bone, I took the pot out of the oven.
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I must confess, I did sneak a taste of the celery root. I was too curious to wait a day to see how it tasted. It is delicious. It has a light, smooth texture and a tastes like a mild, creamy piece of celery. Celery disintegrates when it is cooked; celery root gets soft and smooth, with that lovely root taste.
I covered the beef and the vegetables and put them both in the refrigerator. While pondering what side to use, my thoughts turned toward a pasta class I had just attended. While sorely tempted to try my hand at making my own noodles, I decided to wait until I had more time, and opted for some beautiful egg noodles I found at the store the next evening.
When I got home the next day, I turned on the oven to preheat it to 350 deg. F. I covered the meat with foil, and put the vegetables, which were already in a covered 3-quart casserole dish and the meat in the oven to heat for about half an hour. I brought some water to a boil and about ten minutes before the meat and vegetables were going to be ready I cooked the noodles. The timer for the meat and vegetables went off just as I was draining the noodles, so everything was ready at the same time.
I served up that beautiful plate full of braised goodness you see up at the top of this post. I just happened to have some parsley on hand to make a prettier picture, and it added a little burst of freshness to the flavor. The poudre forte adds a lovely blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and black peppers. Apparently, it was used throughout medieval Europe in much the same way curries are used in India - each household makes their own blend. So if you can't find any, a good substitute would be to start with those four spices I mentioned above and play with them until you get a blend that suits your taste.
This is another one of those dishes that is super easy to make but delivers a huge payoff in flavor. It can help keep you warm on these cold winter nights.
4 comments:
I love to use fennel in my Pot Roast.Great flavor!
Fennel is one of the strange new vegetables I brought home last year, Ed, and it has become a staple for me. It's such a great braising vegetable! (Although it has its other uses as well.)
I love fennel, and celery root, although the first few times I used it with remolade the pieces were too big and it was more of a challenge than a meal.
Oh that sounds good, misreall! (The remoulade, not the challenge.) I think I'll have to make that soon.
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