Celeriac Steak, Celeriac Puree, Pickled Celeriac, Sofrito

Mead is a type of fermented beverage made from honey, water, and yeast. It has been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years and has a unique flavour that can be added to a variety of dishes.

Celeriac Steak

• 2 Celeriac, peeled, cut into steaks approx 2” thick
• Rapeseed oil
• For the soy glaze
• 2 Tbsp Afon Mel wildower honey
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce

Celeriac Puree

• 350g Celeriac, diced
• ½ Lemon zest
• 1 Tsp dark miso
• 250ml Double cream

Pickled Celeriac

• 200g Celeriac, small dice
• Pickling liquor: 1) 100ml Water, 2) 200ml Sugar, 3) 300ml Vinegar

Sofrito

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Carrot finely diced
• 1 Stick celery finely diced
• 1 White onion finely diced
• 5 Cloves garlic finely diced
• 100ml Afon Mel heather mead
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• Sprig rosemary
• Sprig thyme
• 1 Bay leaf
• Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180°C

1. Cut celeriac steak, marinate in soy and Afon Mel honey. Dice rest of the celeriac, season with salt and pepper then oil and roast in the oven until caramelised and going dark on the edges (around 25mins). At this stage, it is also helpful to dice the vegetables for the sofrito
2. Whilst waiting for the celeriac to marinate and roast, make a pickling liquor. A 1:2:3 ratio as directed will give you quite a strong liquor, so add less vinegar for less potency
3. As the sugar in the liquor dissolves, use the time to make small dice of celeriac, around 0.5cm and coat these in a pinch of salt. This cures them before adding the pickling liquor
4. Once sugar in liquor has dissolved, let it cool slightly then add to the salted celeriac dice. Set aside
5. Melt butter in a saucepan and add newly diced carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Sweat the mixture down on a low heat, giving it as little colour as possible. Let this soften
6. While the sofrito is softening, retrieve the caramelised celeriac and put into a blender with 1tsp dark miso, lemon zest and 250ml double cream. Blitz until smooth, taste and season. Set aside once ready
7. Return to the sofrito. Add the tomato paste, increase the heat slightly and cook the paste out for three minutes. Turn the heat up high, add 100ml of the award winning Afon Mel heather mead and reduce until syrupy
8. Take sofrito of the heat, add fresh herbs and a splash of olive oil. Let the herbs infuse for 10 minutes before removing. Set aside
9. Heat a dry frying pan until hot but not smoking, and add the celeriac steaks. Sear on one side for 3 minutes or until the steak has coloured and got a little char. Flip over and add 2 tbsp rapeseed oil. Baste the celeriac in the oil
10. Bring the dish together by spooning or piping some puree onto a plate, placing the celeriac next to it and scattering some pickled celeriac across the steak. Attempt a quenelle of sofrito or just generously spoon it over the top of the steak

Source: Simmie V

By adding mead to this recipe is a great way to experiment with new flavours and elevate your cooking. The subtle sweetness of the mead complements the earthy and nutty flavour of the celeriac and adds a unique touch to each dish. Give it a try and discover a new way to enjoy this ancient beverage.