Ingredients
| 1kg celeriac (600g once trimmed) | |
| 600ml cream | |
| 1 cup chopped flat-leafed parsley leaves | |
| zest & juice of 2 lemons | |
| 2 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped | |
| 50ml extra virgin olive oil | |
| 750g hāpuku fillets (about 180g per person) | |
| 50ml canola oil |
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the oven to 200°C. |
| 2. | Cut the outer skin and roots from the celeriac until you have the tender, pale centre of the bulb. |
| 3. | Chop it into rough chunks, place in a deep pot and cover with water. |
| 4. | Bring up to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. |
| 5. | Strain off the water and pop the celeriac back into the pot, cover with the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes until the celeriac is cooked through. |
| 6. | Strain, reserving the cooking liquid to adjust the consistency of the purée. |
| 7. | Purée to a creamy texture in a high-speed blender, using the cooking liquid to soften the mix. |
| 8. | Season well with salt and pepper. |
| 9. | To make the gremolata, put the parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a mixing bowl. |
| 10. | Season well with salt and pepper, and add enough olive oil and lemon juice to bring it to a paste-like consistency. |
| 11. | Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. |
| 12. | Season the hāpuku well with salt and pepper. |
| 13. | Heat a heavy-based, ovenproof steel pan, add the canola oil then sear the hāpuku for 1-2 minutes on each side. |
| 14. | Put the pan in the heated oven and cook for 4 minutes. |
| 15. | Generously spoon the celeriac purée into warmed bowls. |
| 16. | Place the hāpuku on top. |
| 17. | Drizzle over the gremolata and finish with some freshly cracked black pepper, flaky sea salt and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. |
Recipes & food styling Tom Hutchison
Photography Amber-Jayne Bain