Recipe: Celeriac Puree

In French-speaking Switzerland, celeriac is traditionally sliced very thin on a mandoline before cooking, so pieces absorb the hot milk better. Some Belgian Ardennes cooks add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg at the very end (not the start), creating a small surprise. Pair with Sancerre or dry Alsatian Riesling: mineral acidity wakes up the creaminess, milk's richness finds balance. The key trick here is the vegetable mill. Pass through while hot, don't delay. If you wait for it to cool, you lose airiness. Bistro cooks' move: add olive oil at the very end, on the heat, never before. It creates a natural emulsion that makes everything velvety without heaviness.