Portakallı Zeytinyağlı Kereviz
Portakallı Zeytinyağlı Kereviz·(por-tah-KAHL-luh zey-TIN-yah-luh keh-reh-VEEZ)
Zeytinyağlılar (The Cold Olive Oil Table & Fridge Mains)
The gnarly celery root sits in a pool of supermarket orange juice. The olive oil settles on top. The cold fridge does the rest. This is a zeytinyağlı—a dish braised in olive oil and citrus, then stubbornly left alone to cool in its own pot until the pectin, starches, and oil emulsify into a silky glaze. The technique is a simple lemon-flour bath to keep the root perfectly white, and a wet parchment paper lid to trap the sweet orange steam. Make it on Sunday, seal it in a plastic Tupperware container, and eat it cold from the bottom shelf of the fridge on Wednesday, after the orange and olive oil flavors have deepened.
Ingredients
- cold water4 cup
- lemon1/2 med
- all-purpose flour1 tbsp
- celery roots1 1/2 lb
- extra virgin olive oil1/3 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- carrots2 med
- Yukon Gold potato1 large
- orange juice1 cup
- lemon1/2 med
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- hot water1/2 cup
- fresh dill1 cup
Method
- 01
Prepare the protective flour bath.
Whisk the cold water, juice of half a lemon, and flour in a large bowl, then immediately drop your freshly peeled and cubed celery root into the opaque liquid. This non-negotiable step halts oxidation, keeping the gnarly roots brilliantly white and lending a subtle, velvety starch to the final sauce.
- 02
Sweat the aromatics.
Heat half of the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-low heat, cooking the onions with a pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes until translucent, then add the carrots for another 3 minutes until they bleed their bright orange hue into the oil.
- 03
Assemble the braise.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the celery root directly from the flour bath into the pot without rinsing, then stir in the cubed potatoes to coat everything in the aromatic oil.
- 04
Pour in the citrus infusion.
Whisk together the fresh orange juice, the remaining lemon juice, sugar, and salt, then pour it over the vegetables. The liquid should come about halfway up the roots; if your oranges were stingy on juice, add up to a half cup of hot water.
- 05
Seal with a wet parchment cartouche.
Crumple a piece of parchment paper, run it briefly under cold water, squeeze it out, and tuck it directly flush against the surface of the vegetables and liquid before securing the pot's lid. This ingenious grandmother trick traps steam and forces the root to cook evenly without drowning it in extra liquid.
- 06
Simmer until tender.
Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then immediately drop the heat to the absolute lowest setting and simmer undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the celery root yields effortlessly to the tip of a paring knife.
- 07
Cool completely in the pot.
Remove from the heat, briefly lift the parchment to drizzle the remaining raw olive oil over the top, replace the parchment and lid, and leave it alone on the counter for at least two hours. A true zeytinyağlı is never served hot; this patient resting period is where the magical emulsion happens.
- 08
Garnish and serve.
Gently transfer the cooled vegetables to a serving platter, shower generously with fresh dill, and serve at room temperature alongside crusty bread to mop up the citrus glaze.
Notes
Make it ahead.
Like all olive oil dishes in the Turkish canon, this tastes vastly superior on the second day after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
From Cook Turkish in America.