Nigel Slater’s pancetta, roots and celeriac mash recipe

The recipe

Peel and roughly chop 1 small celeriac into large pieces then steam over boiling water for about 15-20 minutes until tender, or boil.

Meanwhile cut a 250g piece of smoked pancetta into short slices about 3cm thick. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat, then add the pancetta. Leave to cook until the fat is golden, about 5 or 6 minutes. Peel and roughly chop 2 large banana shallots or small onions. Warm 2 tbsp of oil in a shallow pan then add the onions and let them soften, stirring them occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Scrub 2 large carrots, cut into 1cm cubes, add them to the onions and cook till tender. Season lightly with black pepper and a handful of roughly torn flat parsley leaves. Drain the celeriac when it is tender then mash using a food mixer with a beater attachment or a vegetable masher, with 40g of butter, to a smooth purée. Season and pile on to 2 plates, then spoon over the sautéed roots and pancetta.

The trick

I generally prefer to steam celeriac destined for mash, as it can produce a very wet mash when boiled. You can also prevent this by using a ratio of half potato to celeriac. The mash is fine when made with butter, but I like to include a little of the bacon fat in the pan instead. Tip the fat into the mashed celeriac when it is hot, holding back the roots and pancetta with a draining spoon.

The twist

I have successfully used mushrooms instead of pancetta in this recipe. You will need 250g of medium-sized chestnut mushrooms, cut in half and cooked in the oil till they start to turn golden, then add the onions and carry on as before. The sweet smokiness of the pancetta is good enough for me, but you might like to add 1 tsp of chopped thyme leaves or a light dusting of smoked paprika to the sizzling pancetta.


Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk