Celeriac Torte with Mushrooms & Pancetta
I am a little obsessed with making different filings for this dish. From chopped lamb bits, to pancetta, whatever I use becomes my new favourite filling.
I guess what I’m saying, is that whatever you decide to use in the filling, it will work, so give it some thought and give it a go.
If you’ve not used Vegeta as yet, once you get your hands on it, I guarantee you’ll find ways to use it.
Vegeta is something that is in every Croatian pantry and is used as a multi seasoning in most savoury dishes.
It’s a mixture of dehydrated vegetables, spices and the very controversial MSG. MSG intensifies the savoury or umami taste in foods. So, it enhances flavours, which is why I think once you get a packet of it, you are going to love it.
Go on, give it a go, and enjoy your sweet life!
What You Need
500g Smoked Pancetta Pieces
300g Button Mushrooms
70g Fresh Breadcrumbs
60g Pine Nuts
2 Medium Shallots
2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
2tsp Paprika
2tsp Vegeta – See Tip Box
1 Celeriac
Black Pepper to taste
Malden Salt to taste – See Tip Box
Vegetable Oil for Cooking
Melted Butter for the top
I used individual tiny skillets
How It’s Done
Heat the oven to 180c
This makes one large or several small.
Put an oven tray in the oven to get hot.
Peel the shallots and chop them into small pieces.
Place a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the pancetta into the pan.
Cook on a medium heat, until the pancetta has some colour.
Add the chopped shallots to the pan, and on a medium heat, cook until the shallots are soft and transparent.
While the shallots and pancetta are cooking, wipe the mushrooms with a damp piece of kitchen paper to clean them – See Tip Box
Once they are clean, slice the mushrooms really small – See Tip Box
Add the mushrooms to the pan with the shallots and pancetta, along with the paprika and Vegeta. Give it a really good mix and let it cook, on a medium heat, until the mushrooms give up the liquid.
Keep cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and then add the fresh breadcrumbs and the pine nuts.
Give it all a good stir and then give it a taste.
Adjust the seasoning with more pepper or salt if needed – Be careful because Vegeta is salty.
Once the seasoning is right for you, take it off the heat and set it aside to cool to room temperature
Add the breadcrumbs
Use a sharp knife to cut off the bottom and top of the celeriac.
Use the knife to cut off all the outer skin – See Tip Box
Cut the celeriac in half and using a mandolin, or a sharp knife, cut the celeriac into really thin slices.
Lay the slices into a shallow heavy bottomed frying pan which can go into a hot oven. (I use seasoned iron skillets – See Tip Box)
When laying them, stand then up around the edge of the skillet first, until they meet, and then lay some on the bottom, making sure that there are no spaces.
Add enough so that he slices over lap the edges of the pan.
Over lap the layers to keep the filling in.
Spoon in a heaped amount of the filling and then add more slices of the celeriac to the top, again, making sure there isn’t a gap – See Tip Box
Use the palm of your hand and gently push down on the top of the top layer of the celeriac, just to compact it a little.
Brush all over the top with the melted butter, making sure to get the melted butter in all the cracks.
Put the skillet in the hot oven to sit on the hot oven tray.
Let the torte cook until the top is charred and the celeriac is soft when a thin sharp knife is pushed through.
Once cooked, remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, either take them to the table and eat from the skillet, or place a plate on the top of the skillet, and carefully turn out onto a serving plate.
Great to eat cold the next day too.
Tip Box
Vegeta – Vegeta is Croatian brand of savoury seasoning made with dehydrated vegetables, spices, and MSG. It's a popular all-purpose seasoning, often used in soups, stews, and other savoury dishes, and is considered a staple in Eastern European cuisine. It’s now really easy to get in supermarkets and if you can’t find it, I know it’s selling in amazon – Here’s the link.
Mushrooms – 1) Wipe Clean – Never wash mushroom, they are really absorbent and will soak up lots of water, so the best way to clean is, once the very edge of the stalk has been cut off, dampen some kitchen paper and wipe off all the dirt.
2) Chop Small – Chopping the mushrooms small is best, and also try to chop them the same size as the leaks. Doing this, will help them have the same mouthfeel when inside the torte.
Celeriac – 1) Taking off the skin – The skin of celeriac is very thick, so there is no point trying to use aa vegetable peeler. The way to do this is to use a very sharp knife to cut off the top and the bottom first. Then, use the knife to follow the shape of the celeriac, cutting down it to remove all the skin.
2) Slicing – The celeriac needs to be sliced really thin so that it will cook thoroughly and it need to be thin enough to bend around the skillet/pan.
3) Adding the slices to the pan – When adding the thin slices to the pan/skillet, make sure they overlap. Overlapping the slices of celeriac, will stop the filling bursting out of the torte.
Maldon Sea Salt - Maldon sea salt is something special and is more of a seasoning than just a salt. If you use table salt, be really careful when using it as it is a strong seasoning and remember that Vegeta also contains salt.
Delicious hot or cold.
