How to make braised beef short rib with celeriac-and-Parmesan mash

Why make celeriac mash instead of simply mashing potato? The answer is flavour, says Melanie Johnson.

‘Often overlooked, earthy celeriac has subtle celery notes, but works well with strong flavours,’ she explains.

You can get fancier, should you wish — such as a celeriac 'potato salad' equivalent: 'Slice a peeled celeriac into matchsticks, squeeze over a lemon, cover with water and set aside. Then whisk together four tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of Greek yoghurt, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard and some seasoning. Finally, drain the celeriac and toss it in the dressing with an apple, also cut into matchsticks.'

With this beef recipe, however, celeriac mash is spot on. Here's how to bring it all together.

Recipe: Beef short rib with celeriac-and-Parmesan mash

Ingredients

Serves 4

• A splash of olive oil
• 8 beef short ribs on the bone
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed but unpeeled
• 1 red chilli, halved
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 500ml red wine
• 750ml beef stock

For the mash

• 2 celeriacs
• 75g butter
• 100ml milk
• 40g Parmesan, grated

Method

Heat a heavy-based casserole dish and add a splash of olive oil. Brown the beef all over for a few minutes and then simply add in all the remaining ingredients. Stir them together, pop on a lid and cook in the oven for 2–2½ hours, stirring halfway through.

Make the mash by peeling the celeriacs and cutting them into even-sized pieces. Steam or boil until soft and then add to a processor with the butter, milk and Parmesan. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and set aside until ready to serve.

Remove the ribs from the casserole dish, cover to keep them warm, and then strain the liquid into a saucepan to reduce and thicken, discarding the herbs and vegetables. Simply simmer until it is the desired thickness.

Spoon the celeriac-and-Parmesan mash onto plates, add the short ribs and pour over the sauce. Serve with steamed cavolo nero.

Credit: Melanie Johnson

Celeriac soup with rosemary, walnuts and bacon plus Parmesan scones

Melanie Johnson’s warming celeriac soup is delicious.

Greatest recipes ever: Nigel Slater’s remoulade of celeriac and bacon

Thomasina Miers picks Nigel Slater’s remoulade of celeriac and bacon as one of her greatest recipes ever

How to make three-cheese sourdough bread and a perfect winter-warmer soup to go with it

We'll leave it up to you to decide whether the soup or the sourdough is the star of the show