Super yummy Cozy! Potato and Celeriac Gratin

Does everyone know about my love affair with Jamie Oliver? He is just so darned prolific and his style of cooking is incomparable! I’ve even gotten Marc into watching him. His new show Jamie at Home is like my dream. A house in some countryside, an outside oven, rustic kitchen and huge amazing garden – give me a vineyard and call it a day!

We often have New Recipe Sunday at our house. I mean I have tons of cook books and pages of recipes I’ve torn out of magazine so why not make an effort to try them!!! If we do our grocery shopping on Saturday and I can get it together to have something in mind I want to cook, New Recipe Sunday can happen!

This week I was inspired not by books or magazines but by Jamie’s show which I sometimes watch on Saturday morning. The recipe is shown as a side dish to a venison – maybe I would try it with a beef tenderloin but actually I just like it as a dish in itself.

Celeriac is a funny and totally underestimated vegetable. The root of the celery, it has the same taste and when boiled with potatoes or even by itself and then mashed up with butter, salt and pepper it is delicious!

This gratin goes several steps further with the addition of fresh sage and garlic and parmesean. I mean it is sooooo delicious!!!!! A side of green beans and simple arugula salad and a walk after dinner and you won’t feel so guilty!

Pan-Roasted Venison with Creamy Baked Potato and Celeriac
Venison is a fantastic lean dark meat. You can swap the celeriac for parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes or even fennel, but you must keep the ratio of potatoes in there so it tastes delish.

Prep Time:25 minInactive Prep Time: hr minCook Time:1 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
4 servings

Venison is a fantastic lean dark meat. You can swap the celeriac for parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes or even fennel, but you must keep the ratio of potatoes in there so it tastes delish.

4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus a couple extra knobs, divided
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 small celeriac, peeled and halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint heavy cream
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 a small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked and roughly chopped
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, divided
10 juniper berries, crushed with the side of a knife
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
2.2 pounds venison loin in 1 large piece, trimmed
Olive oil
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled
Water
1 wineglass of good-quality red wine, like Pinot Noir
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a large, shallow baking dish.
Slice the potatoes and celeriac into disks just under 1-inch thick. Place the slices into a large pan, cover with cold water, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and allow the vegetables to steam dry for a minute or so. Put back into the pan with the cream, chopped garlic, sage, half the Parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, then tip into the buttered baking dish and spread out evenly. Pour any mixture left in the pan over the top. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

Combing the juniper berries and rosemary, add a pinch of salt and pepper, then sprinkle over a board. Rub the venison all over with olive oil before rolling it across the board and pressing it into the flavorings. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and add a glug of olive oil. Sear the venison for a couple of minutes on all sides, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the smashed garlic bulb and any leftover flavorings from the chopping board. Shake everything together, pour in a splash of water to cool things down and place in the oven. Cook according to your liking – about 8 minutes will give you medium venison.

When the potatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Take the venison out of the oven and let it rest on a plate, covered loosely with foil. Pour away any excess fat. Squash the garlic cloves with a fork and discard the skins. Mix the garlic with the herbs in the pan and place on the heat. Pour in the red wine, simmer until it has reduced by half and then add the butter. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the sticky meaty goodness from the bottom. As soon as the sauce comes together, take the pan off the heat, correct the seasoning and stir in another knob of butter. Carve the venison into desired-thickness. Pour any resting juices from the plate back into the pan, then pour your gravy through a sieve over the meat and serve with the potato and celeriac bake.