Purée of Celery Root

Updated November 18, 2025

David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Ready In
1 hr 25 min
Rating
4(10)
Comments
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A staple of the writer Joan Didion’s holiday menus was a purée of vegetables – beet, turnip or celery root (whose European alias is celeriac). This version, which she clipped from a New York Times column by Craig Claiborne, is a bit chunkier than what you might expect from the name, with a consistency more like mashed potatoes. That’s not surprising, given the major role that potatoes play in the dish. For those seeking a twist on the traditional mash, the celery root adds a subtle celery sweetness. — Patrick Farrell

Featured in: Joan Didion’s Thanksgiving: Dinner for 75, Reams of Notes

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Ingredients

Yield:12 or more servings (about 10 cups)
  • 4 pounds celery root

  • Salt

  • 1 pound potatoes

  • 4 tablespoons butter

  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • ½ cup milk

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

22 grams carbs; 22 milligrams cholesterol; 168 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 499 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel the celery root, removing and discarding all the brown exterior. Working quickly to prevent the celery root from browning, rinse it well and cut into large slices or cubes. Place in a large pot. Add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and rinse well. Quarter them and drop into a medium pot. Add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the celery root and potatoes and put them through a food mill or a potato ricer and place in a large bowl. Add the butter and nutmeg and beat with a wooden spoon.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, bring the milk and cream to a boil. Gradually add the milk and cream to the celery and potato mixture, beating with the spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  5. Step 5

    Serve immediately or place the dish in a pot set over simmering water and keep warm.

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Comments

I've made celeriac mashed potatoes for many years; just like this recipe method (except often I'll use the microwave to steam vs boiling; saves time, energy). but I usually do more of a 50/50 blend. Sometimes when I cannot find enough celery root, it'll lean towards even more potatoes. Tho that's to say the addition of celeriac, in any amount, is always a good idea. I'll get comments like "Wow, these mashed potatoes are so good! What did you do to them?!?". It's lighter, a bit sweeter, a somewhat different but better taste to the usual mashed potatoes, without it being a huge difference. Always a winner.

I make mashed (or pureed) celeriac each fall. No potatoes. I first ate this at L’Ange 20, a marvelous restaurant in the Marias district of Paris, in summer 2015. The young waiter supplied the recipe (in his imitation of Julia Child’s falsetto): “boil the celeriac, add as much butter and garlic as you like, and some cream”. Blitz in the blender. Salt and pepper, too. It’s delicious!

Love celeriac purée. Use 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 Taste when complete. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with some parsley leaves

I make mashed (or pureed) celeriac each fall. No potatoes. I first ate this at L’Ange 20, a marvelous restaurant in the Marias district of Paris, in summer 2015. The young waiter supplied the recipe (in his imitation of Julia Child’s falsetto): “boil the celeriac, add as much butter and garlic as you like, and some cream”. Blitz in the blender. Salt and pepper, too. It’s delicious!

Can we get a timeframe instead of "until tender?" Should be able to add potatoes to the celeriac at some point instead of doubling the pots (and water). But at what time is that? Thanks.

Love celeriac purée. Use 1 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 Taste when complete. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Sprinkle with some parsley leaves

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Credits

Adapted from Craig Claiborne

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