Its appearance may be gnarly, but the soft white flesh of turnip-like celeriac is versatile, and perfect paired with salty pancetta
Prep:10 mins
Serves 4
small splash olive oil, plus a drizzle to serve100g sliced pancettasmall knob butter1 large onion, chopped1 bay leaflarge bunch thyme, leaves picked and set aside1 celeriac, cut into chunks850ml fresh chicken stock100ml double cream
STEP 1Heat the oil in a large pan. Sizzle the pancetta for about 3 mins on each side until crisp, then remove to a plate and set aside. Melt the butter in the same pan, add the onion, bay leaf and thyme stalks, and cook for 10 mins until just starting to turn golden. Add the celeriac and cook for 2 mins more.STEP 2Pour over the stock and simmer for 10 mins until the celeriac is soft. Stir in the cream and bring back to the boil. Fish out the bay and thyme stalks, then purée the soup until smooth. Stir through half the thyme leaves and ladle the soup into bowls. Serve topped with the crispy pancetta, the remaining thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
