Ottolenghi's whole-roasted celeriac with coriander seed oil

I fell head over heels for this simple celeriac dish by Ottolenghi. Don't judge by its brownish neutral looks because this is an intriguing natural beauty with tons of flavour stored inside. Ottolenghi is known for his long lists of ingredients as well as for his tempting, mouthwatering veggie recipes. But surprise surprise: this recipe from his "Simple" cookbook  only lists 5 ingredients, which is a big plus. You should be prepared to let the oven do its job for a few hours for the best result … while you are free to do whatever you like.

4 servings:

1 large celeriac (about 1 kg), hairy roots discarded (no need to trim or peel), scrubbed clean

50 ml olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed (I used more because coriander seeds happens to be a favourite of mine)

1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

flaked sea salt (I used Maldon)

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C fan.

2. Pierce the celeriac with a small sharp knife all over, about 20 times. Place the celeriac in a baking dish and rub generously with the oil, coriander seeds and 2 teaspoons of flaked salt. Roast for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes until the celeriac is soft all the way through and golden-brown on the outside.

3. Cut into wedges and serve with a wedge of lemon, a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of oil.

Nota bene: You can eat it as a starter with crème fraîche or serve it as a side to other dishes.