Gordon Ramsay Wants You Cooking With This 'Ugly' Root Vegetable Pronto

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and when it comes to this one root vegetable, Gordon Ramsay lives by this mantra. Ramsay believes celeriac is among the most underrated vegetables you should stop overlooking. In a 2009 interview with Bon Appétit, the Hell's Kitchen host expressed his feelings, saying, "It's one of the ugliest vegetables around. It's absolutely hideous-looking. Perhaps that's why it's so underrated. Despite its ugly exterior, it is absolutely delicious within. It's brilliant in soups, fantastic deep-fried as vegetable chips, or grated raw in salad."

If you are unfamiliar with this bulbous, turnip-looking food, it's time to brush up. Celeriac, or celery root as it is often called, is a knobby root that is part of the celery plant; however, it grows from a different variety than that which you might slather peanut butter on. Celeriac has a nutty taste that becomes sweeter as it cooks. It also has a lower water content and denser texture than a celery stalk. While celery, along with diced onions and carrots, adds its flavor to mirepoix, celeriac is better suited for a pureed soup with crispy lemon zest.

Celeriac hails from the Mediterranean Basin and is popular in French cooking. Part of the challenge of working with it is not knowing how to prepare it. Start with a sharp knife to slice off the ends. You can use the knife to remove the skin or a vegetable peeler, whichever essential kitchen tool you feel more comfortable using. Getting rid of this exterior layer will leave you with a white vegetable that looks a little like a potato or jicama. Once the skin is removed, wash it, and it is ready to use.   

Gordon Ramsay calls celeriac a "versatile" vegetable, but it is best in the fall and early winter. You can eat it raw and add it to a celeriac and apple salad with watercress. Sauté it to make a celery root in a Chinese stir-fry; slow cook it for a braise, add it to mashed potatoes for a sweeter bite, or fry it up for a new riff on a French fry. The possibilities are endless if you can get past its book cover.