Recipes, Recipes - Vin Tardive

Celery Root Sformato with Basil Salad

Chef Eric Ferguson of Nick’s Italian Cafe shared this recipe with us. The Sformato is a lovely little savory italian custard which makes for a perfect first course at a dinner party.

For Sformato:

1 pound Celery Root, peeled
1oz Butter
1oz Flour
3 cups milk
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
10 Whole Eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
Salt to Taste

For Garnish:

About 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, or condimento
1 bunch basil, leaves removed from stems and cut into chiffonade

1. Cut the celery root in half. Drizzle the cut side of the celery root with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast at 350 degrees F until tender, approximately an hour and a half. Remove from oven and let cool until able to handle. While the celery is roasting, prepare a béchamel by melting the butter in a sauce pan, adding the flour and whisking until the mixture looks like wet sand. Let this cook for two minutes, making sure that you do not brown the roux. Add the milk whisking continuously until the mixture comes to a boil making sure that no lumps develop.

2. Put the celery root in the blender and puree until smooth. Mix the warm puree, Parmesan and the béchamel and season to taste. Slowly incorporate the celery root mixture into the beaten eggs and taste for seasoning. Butter tartlet tins or half cup ramekins and fill with the mixture.

3. Bake at 325 degrees until set, let cool slightly and turn out of the molds onto the serving dish and drizzle with balsamico condimento, and the basil.

Serves 10 people