Sellerie-Schnitzel mit Sesam-Panade und Kartoffelpüree (celeriac schnitzel with sesame breading and mashed potatoes)

Method

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Parboil the celeriac slices for 5 to 6 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with cold salted water and simmer for 20 minutes, until fully tender. Drain and mash while hot, beating in the warm milk, butter, nutmeg and salt until smooth.
3. Set up a breading station: flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another, and the breadcrumbs mixed with sesame seeds in a third.
4. Season the celeriac slices with salt. Coat each in flour, then egg, then the sesame breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere.
5. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the breaded slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden brown and crisp.
6. Serve the schnitzel with the mashed potatoes.

Notes

• Parboil the celeriac before breading it, don’t use it raw. Raw celeriac needs considerably longer in the pan to cook through than a breaded crust can survive without burning; parboiling brings it to the right starting point.
• Mix sesame seeds into the breadcrumbs rather than using plain crumbs alone. This gives the crust a genuine nutty crunch and flavour that plain breadcrumbs don’t provide on their own.
• Press the breading on gently but firmly. A loose coating flakes off in the pan instead of forming a solid crust.
• Best eaten immediately, while the crust is still crisp.

Ingredient substitutions

• Panko breadcrumbs mixed with the sesame give an even crunchier result than regular breadcrumbs.
• Serve with a simple lemon wedge for squeezing over, a classic schnitzel pairing.
• Any root vegetable that holds its shape when sliced can be prepared the same way.