Fasting Baked Celeriac with Leek

Preparation

1. Preparing the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 190°C (conventional). Peel the celeriac — the skin is tough and knobbly, so use a sharp knife rather than a peeler. Slice into rounds 5 mm thick. Wash the leek carefully under running water (dirt hides between the layers) and slice into rounds about 1 cm thick — use only the white and pale green parts; the dark green tops can be saved for making stock.

2. Blanching the Celeriac — an Important Step

Celeriac is dense and needs much longer than leek to become tender. To ensure even cooking without the leek burning, blanch the celeriac slices in boiling salted water for 5–6 minutes until just beginning to soften. Drain and pat gently dry with kitchen paper.

You can skip this step, but you will need to bake at a lower temperature for longer, and the result is less uniform.

3. Making the Herb Oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, finely chopped garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. This is a simple aromatic dressing that will tie all the ingredients together.

4. Layering in the Baking Dish

Take a baking dish (about 25×35 cm) and brush lightly with oil. Spread the leek rounds evenly across the base — they will bake on the bottom and turn golden and sweet. Layer the blanched celeriac slices on top of the leek in a single layer or with slight overlapping.

Drizzle the entire herb oil mixture evenly over the vegetables. Gently toss with your hands so everything is well coated. Finally, scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the top — they will form the crispy crust.

5. Baking

Cover the dish with aluminium foil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes — the vegetables will steam in their own juices and the oil. Then remove the foil and continue baking for a further 15–20 minutes at the same temperature, until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown and crispy and the leek has caramelised at the edges.

6. Serving

Leave to rest 5 minutes outside the oven. Serve directly from the dish or carefully transfer to a serving platter. A thin drizzle of extra virgin olive oil just before serving boosts the aroma. Serve as a warm side dish alongside a fasting stew, baked fish (on permitted fish days) or as a standalone fasting meal with bread.

Tips

Celeriac root: sold at Serbian markets as “keler” (from the German Keller) or “celer koren”. This is celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum) — completely different from celery stalks. It has creamy-white flesh, a nutty flavour and firmer texture. Choose firm, heavy roots without too many knobs.

Leek vs. onion: leek is delicate, mildly sweet and ideal for baking as it caramelises beautifully. Onion is more intense — if using onion instead, take just one head and chop finely.

No breadcrumbs (gluten-free): for a gluten-free version, replace breadcrumbs with ground walnuts or almonds — they provide crunch and rich flavour. Or simply omit — the dish is delicious without the crispy topping.

Richer variation: add a handful of pitted black or green olives between the vegetable layers. Olives baked in the oven become soft and give a salty, Mediterranean character that complements the celeriac beautifully.

Make ahead: all the vegetables can be sliced, the celeriac blanched and the whole thing assembled in the dish a day ahead. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate. Bake just before the meal — add 5–10 minutes to the baking time as the vegetables start cold.