Celeriac fries

Celeriac fries – deliciously addictive, these are a great guilt-free snack that can perfectly satisfy your French fries cravings but for a fraction of the calories.

Celeriac fries may not sound very appetizing but they are absolutely delicious, and quickly became one of my favorite recipes this winter.  They are as addictive, if not more, than your regular French fries and you can feel great about yourself even if you gobble up the whole bowl of fries.

Until recently, I’ve mostly used celeriac to flavor soups.  I’ve tried it mashed too in place of mashed potatoes and it tasted good but in this recipe it really transforms into a shining star.  I really like my root veggies and I’ve been eating a lot this season, so this one, naturally, was yet another one to play with.  I decided to bake it into fries, and they were a hit the first time I made them!

Celeriac, or celery root is a close cousin to the celery and has a strong, herbal and more pronounced celery-like scent, but the flesh is more starchy and bakes beautifully.  The scent is still there after you’ve baked it but it’s not as pungent, and like all root veggies the celeriac becomes soft and slightly sweet when cooked.

To complement its herbal aroma, I added some spicy crushed seeds and nuts in an impromptu Dukkah style – freshly ground sesame, coriander and caraway seeds, and toasted hazelnuts.  This magical blend not only adds a ton of flavor but also a good crunch! Try adding it to any other roasted vegetables, meat or salads – it’s delicious!

Celeriac is much lower in starch than potatoes, but the texture when baked, is quite similar to that of a baked potato.  It’s also packed with fiber so it will keep you full for a while. But the biggest bonus, aside from the addictive taste is that it has a fraction of the calories of the potato!

So go ahead and make a double batch of these fries and for once, eat the whole thing without a worry in the world. They are so good on their own, and really don’t need more flavoring but if you like to dip your fries in sauce, make a quick one with Greek yogurt, some olive oil, salt and crushed garlic. Just don’t use ketchup please!

It’s a great snack or light meal, especially suitable for long, mindless, munching-in-front-of-the-TV moments like the upcoming Superbowl game!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Celeriac fries

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Celeriac fries - deliciously addictive, these are a great guilt-free snack that can perfectly satisfy your French fries cravings but for a fraction of the calories.

Course: Side dish/Appetizer, Side dish/Snack

Servings: 3 -4

Calories: 216 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 2 lbs celeriac, peeled and cut French fries style
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs Dukkah (recipe below)
• salt to taste
• Dukkah:
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
• 2 tbs sesame seeds (I used black sesame)
• 2 tbs coriander seeds
• 2 tbs caraway seeds
• Yogurt dipping sauce:
• 1 cup Greek yogurt, or Labneh
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt
• 1 tbs mayo (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.

2. In a mortar and pestle, grind the sesame, coriander and caraway seeds individually until coarsely ground. Mix all and set aside.
3. Add the hazelnuts to the mortar and crush to a fine crumb consistency. Add to the seeds and mix well
4. Mix the cut celeriac with the olive oil, salt liberally and sprinkle the Dukkah all over.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes
6. Prepare the dipping sauce by mixing all ingredients - Greek yogurt, salt, garlic and olive oil. Optionally add 1 Tbs of mayonnaise. Adjust seasoning to your liking.
7. Sprinkle more Dukkah over the fries and serve with the dipping sauce on the side