If that knobby root in your CSA Share Box is unfamiliar to you, first pop over here to learn how to clean and chop a celeriac. Celeriac is the root of a celery plant, and while the celery flavor is familiar it can be used in many different ways from a celery stalk. There are a lot of recipes out there for mashed celeriac, or celeriac soup. Here, celeriac takes on a delicious sweet and savory flavor.
Apples and celeriac are diced into uniform chunks, then roasted in stages before being tossed with glaze. Celeriac goes in the oven first, after a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt + pepper. When the celeriac is just about cooked, the apples are added. I was even able to find a delicious local honey crisp for this recipe.
I’ve never tried a maple bacon concoction before, and with the thyme I see what all the fuss is about! The glaze comes together in a kind of amazing quick boil of bacon fat and syrup. Seriously this is the fun part.
When the apples are softened everything gets one more round in the oven.
Maple Roasted Celeriac and Apples with Bacon adapted from Eating Well
1 large celeriac, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 apples, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
Preheat oven to 450°F
Roast apples and celeriac. Toss chopped celeriac with olive oil, salt + pepper. Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until starting to brown 10-12 minutes. Add apples and roast until celeriac and apples are softened, 8-10 minutes.
Make glaze. Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium heat until crispy. Set bacon aside, and drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pan. Add maple syrup to the fat in the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits. Add the cooked bacon and thyme. Gently toss the maple-bacon glaze with the cooked apples and celeriac and roast for about 5 minutes more.
