Celeriac Risotto with Roast Pumpkin & Sage

Celeriac is like the Kylie Jenner of produce. Not born the most attractive of the vegetable sisters, but with a little peel, shred and process, she is now totally instagram ready. She works well as fake risotto (fauxsotto perhaps?), she doesn’t go mushy and is full of flavour. Step aside Kim Carrot and Kendall Cauliflower, celeriac has had her lips done and she’s ready to be the most popular paleo rice of them all!

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Peel and deseed your pumpkin, and cut into 2cm cubes.

Place in one layer on an oven tray, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil, season with some salt and pepper and roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. You may need to give them a shuffle halfway through the cooking time.

While they cook, peel and slice your onion, set aside. Prepare garlic.

Heat a small frying pan to a medium heat and fry off your diced pancetta. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving fat in the pan.

Put pan back on heat and fry off the sage leaves in the fat. Remove leaves and set aside.

Lower the heat, put same pan back on hob. Add remaining oil. Add the sliced onions and  garlic and cook gently (don’t fry) until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for another few minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Peel and cut celeriac into chunks. Shred celeriac on food processor shredding attachment. Change to normal blade and pulse shreds to get rice-like pieces.

Heat a little oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Add riced celeriac, and cook, stirring for a minute or two.

Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Continue cooking until celeriac has softened and liquid has reduced.

Add nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Add pancetta, pumpkin, onions and garlic and stir through until everything is heated through. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Serve scattered with the sage leaves.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 1 large celeriac (1.2kg)
  • 1 butternut pumpkin (1.2kg)
  • 1 onion, peeled and sliced
  • 100g pancetta, diced (omit for vegan, duh)
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 20 sage leaves
  • 150ml vegetable stock
  • 150ml coconut cream or milk
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste