Salt-Roasted Celeriac Pavé with...Salt-Roasted Celeriac Pavé with Smoked Hazelnut Emulsion and Black Truffle Dashi

A refined celebration of subterranean winter flavors, featuring slow-roasted celeriac pressed and caramelized, suspended in an aromatic umami kombu-truffle broth and accented with silky smoked hazelnut cream.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Encase the scrubbed whole celeriac in a thick bed of coarse salt and thyme sprigs within a Dutch oven. Roast for 75 minutes until tender to the core when pierced with a cake tester.

2. 02

   Prepare the dashi by steeping kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in 600ml of filtered water at 65°C for 45 minutes. Strain gently through cheesecloth, whisk in black garlic until dissolved, season with a pinch of salt, and reserve warm.

3. 03

   Soak toasted hazelnuts in 200ml boiling water for 15 minutes, then blend on high speed with smoked olive oil and a pinch of fine salt until an ultra-smooth, glossy emulsion forms. Pass through a fine chinois.

4. 04

   Crack open the salt crust and peel the celeriac while warm. Slice the core into precision rectangles (pavés) measuring approximately 8cm by 3cm. Score a cross-hatch pattern on the top surface.

5. 05

   Heat grapeseed oil in a carbon steel pan over medium-high heat. Sear the scored side of the celeriac pavés until deeply caramelized and golden-brown, basting continuously with the hot oil.

6. 06

   To plate, arrange a seared celeriac pavé in the center of shallow warmed bowls. Spoon dots of the smoked hazelnut emulsion alongside the pavé and top with drained pickled mustard seeds.

7. 07

   Tableside, pour the hot black garlic-kombu dashi into the base of each bowl, and shave fresh black winter truffle generously over the warm celeriac, finishing with delicate sprigs of micro chervil.