Mashed Potatoes & Celeriac with Chive Oil

Chives from my garden! Yes, they are up, and adding a lovely touch to stored potatoes and celeriac. We could eat this for dinner all by itself - in fact we did - but it is an excellent accompaniment for most roasted or grilled meats. If you are going the it's-a-meal route, you might want to add some grated cheese to the mash.

4 to 8 servings
45 minutes - 20 minutes prep time


Make the Purée:
4 to 6 large (900 grams, 2 pounds) potatoes
1 medium to 1/2 large (450 grams, 1 pound) celeriac
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Peel the celeriac and cut it into chunks. Put both the potatoes and celeriac in a large pot with water to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for about 20 to 25 minutes, until both are tender.

Drain the vegetables and mash them with the butter, buttermilk and salt and pepper.

Make the Chive Oil:
1/3 cup minced chives
1/2 cup sunflower seed oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed, ground
1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, ground

Once the potatoes and celeriac have been put on the stove to cook, make the chive oil. Mince the chives finely and mix them with the sunflower seed oil. Grind the salt, celery seed and green peppercorns, and mix them into the oil. Let steep for at least 20 minutes.

When the vegetables are cooked and mashed, spread them in a shallow serving serving dish. Put the oil into a mesh strainer, and press it through with a spoon, either directly over the vegetable mash, or into a bowl from which it can be served. Discard any chive bits that won't go through.

You can make the chive oil as you cook the potatoes, or for a stronger flavour you can make it a few hours ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until wanted.