Celeriac Kyiv, the perfect alternative, #cookfor ukraine

"All through the wintertime he hid himself away
Ashamed to show his face, afraid of what others might say
All through the winter in his lonely clump of wheat
Till the organic farmers spied him there and very soon agreed
You’re a very fine vegetable indeed!" 

This is my first #cook for ukraine post

Chicken Kyiv is the dish that has brought fame to Ukraine. The simple combination of fresh chicken fillet with a piece of butter, herbs and garlic is considered to be quite exquisite all over the world. To ensure that butter does not flow during the frying, you’ll need a lot of practice and true professionalism. Nowadays, Chicken Kyiv is served in fashionable restaurants from London to New York......

Pare off its warty exterior and you'll uncover the most royal of vegetables within: a perfect, ivory-fleshed, winter alternative to potatoes and other starches .Celeriac is a historic European favourite. The vegetable's most classic employment is in the cold French salad celerie remoulade, in which the root is peeled, grated, "cooked" in lemon juice (or blanched briefly in acidulated water) to lose a bit of its rawness, then dressed with a mustardy mayonnaise. This time of year, celeriac can be a perfect alternative root vegetable in a warming meal, and can be prepared in so many ways. Mashed, shaped into batons and boiled, roasted, or even French fried, celery root can provide a winning accompaniment to a fresh green vegetable or salad and anything roasted or grilled. Being the celeriac compulsive I am, this method of preparing it immediately drew me in when I saw it prepared in a totally new way on TV. Who would have thought a classic retro dish would reinvent itself for vegetarians and vegans alike. I dont include myself in either of those brackets but often dabble in related recipes if they sound good to me, and this is one of those. Were my instincts right to try it? Absolutely it was delicious and could be served equally well as a side dish to a roast or the such like. Serve with green beans or cabbage. So what is it? is it animal? no, is it vegan? it could be, is it vegetarian? yes.The answer, its celeriac kiev. It’s in fact very ‘chickeny’, deliciously buttery with a mouthwatering pop of garlic and herbs.If you want it to be vegan and part of a plant based meal just substitute dairy free spread for butter but seriously it will lose that oomph.Suddenly one of the worlds ugliest plants becomes appealing.

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Celeriac Kyiv
3 fat cloves garlic minced
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small celeriac, halved and trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups dried bread crumbs
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

Grind garlic and a pinch of salt together in a mortar and pestle until garlic is completely smashed. Add parsley and mix until completely incorporated. Pound butter into garlic mixture with pestle until parsley and garlic are fully incorporated into the butter. Wrap the butter mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 15 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, top and tail the celeriac, then use a potato peeler to remove the rhino-tough skin. Expect to discard about a quarter of the celeriac by the time you’ve done this.Cut the celeriac into two halves and trim it into the shape of fat chicken breast.Boil the two pieces of celeriac until they are tender to the point of a sharp knife.Drain and let them cool completely.When cool make a horizontal cut through the celeriac about one third of the way down.You will now have a lid and a base.Carefully scoop out some flesh from the bottom part to form a cavity being careful not to cut throught to the bottom.This will form the pocket for you to place your garlic herb filling.Make similar but smaller indendation in the top part.Fill the cavity and smear some extra butter around the flat edge.Repeat with the second one.Tightly wrap each breast of celeriac in plastic wrap then cool in the fridge till the filling has set and and the the two parts hold together as one and are secure, about 1 hour.

Whisk flour and 2 teaspoons salt together in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs together in another shallow bowl. Pour bread crumbs into another bowl.
Remove celeriac breasts from plastic wrap. Gently press each one into flour mixture to coat and shake off any excess flour. Dip into beaten eggs, then press into bread crumbs. Place breaded celeriac onto a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the freezer to chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Working in two batches, lower the celeriac carefully on a long handled stainless steel drainer /skimmer into the hot oil and fry until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until you can hear the butter start to sizzle on the baking sheet, 15 to 18 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.Serve with french beans.