Day 38: absolute contentment

I really struggled to write yesterday, and I can only apologise for the muddle of words and chaotic punctuations that I presented you with. You know sometimes you have those days where no matter how hard you focus you just cannot string a sentence together, and the more you try - the more impossible it becomes? Yesterday was definitely one of those days for me and, no joke, it actually took me about five hours to write: deleting and re-writing about twenty times, and still only managing to produce a measly account babbling on about how we will now make shellfish meal choices on Saturdays. Hardly film-worthy stuff is it!

While I cannot promise improvement on either entertainment or writing quality, I do hope I can deliver a lot of enthusiasm; for a few months now I have gazed dreamily at the picture of this gratin in Cook Eat Repeat and it has very much taken centre stage in the odd dream, too. So, without further hesitation, and with great delight, I am very happy today to talk about Nigella’s Celeriac and Anchovy Gratin.

Nigella’s Celeriac and Anchovy Gratin

Let’s face it, it is a gorgeously captivating photo in Cook Eat Repeat: cracks in a beautifully scorched, bronzed surface that reveal a molten beige dreaminess beneath - much like cooling magma as its surface cracks to reveal a lava-red molten centre. It’s intensely seductive and since first discovering the wonders of anchovies - a discovery made during this 365-day cookalong - I have been in deep reflective thought over what the combination of celeriac and anchovy would be like.

Anchovies or no anchovies, this gratin won my heart before I even tried it. Celeriac is a sensational vegetable, one that I love roasted or pureed in soup, but when I think about it – I really haven’t been that experimental with my usage of it. I’m surprised I never even tried a plain celeriac gratin; few (food) things in this world appeal to me more than a creamy potato gratin, so why on earth haven’t I tried it with celeriac?

I cannot give a specific reason as to why it has taken me so long to try it – although it is likely to be because of temporary memory loss from generalised anxiety when I am out shopping and get into a panic about remembering everything (even with a list!) - but I can tell you it will be on repeat forevermore.

The idea of anchovies in this gratin, for me, simply made it even more mysteriously seductive: that insatiable curiosity that would only be quenched on the day I finally decided to make it. Oh how glad I am that day just happened!

Some say that celeriac isn’t the prettiest of vegetables, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder in my humble opinion, and I hold very high regard for this vegetable: it’s the uncelebrated champion of the legume realm; boasting rich, earthy, nutty flavours packed within a knobbly, spherical form.

I sliced the celeriac by hand, taking a break halfway through to allow the lactic acid in my hand to permeate back into my bloodstream, and I blended the required amount of celeriac (and its water), cream, garlic and anchovies in a small bullet blender. After assembly, I let the oven do the rest.

Flavour musings

I did fear here that I might have spent months praising this gratin for it to only end up not being my cup of tea; I am still new to anchovies - earning my stripes for admission to the Anchovy Appreciation Association in small steps – so there was a tiny chance that it could be a bit too ‘experimental’ for me.

I am so glad this was not the case. I could witter on endlessly about my love for it, but, just sometimes, I feel that love is better marked without words. Instead, and you’ll just have to take my word for this, the smile on my face - as I reminisce from my first bite on Sunday evening, to my last bite at lunchtime today - is proof enough that my dinner table, and indeed my life itself are much contented with Nigella’s Celeriac and Anchovy Gratin in it.