Trade your fish for celery root this holiday season with a vegan Greek twist

Plant-based cuisine is increasingly gaining recognition, and more people are deciding to reduce meat consumption. Intriguing recipes kindle the exploration and trial of new tastes. While the traditional Christmas Eve dinner is predominantly vegetarian, with fish being the only non-vegetarian option, it could be diversified further. For an inventive variance, Greek-style celery root would be an excellent choice. It is breaded, fried, and served with assorted vegetables. Since it easily blends with the sauce, not everyone might immediately realize the absence of fish in the dish.

Considering that Greece has little connection to this particular dish, why not experiment with the 'fish' itself? A properly seasoned and breaded celery root could take on a different persona, transforming into delicious "fish patties”. This unexpectedly flavorful dish is bound to be a hit at the holiday table. In fact, many guests may not even recognize the shift from the usual.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion,
• 3 bay leaves,
• 4-5 allspice berries,
• 3-4 juniper berries,
• 1 tablespoon of marjoram,
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric,
• 3 carrots,
• 2 parsnip roots,
• 5 oz tomato paste,
• 1 tablespoon of salt,
• 1 teaspoon of pepper,
• Oil for frying.

For the celery root 'fish':

• 1 large celery root,
• 3/4 cup of wheat flour,
• About 3/4 cup of water,
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric,
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt,
• 2 tablespoons ground seaweed (crushed nori sheets can be used),
• 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Instructions:

1. Peel the carrots and parsnips. Grate them coarsely. Finely chop the onion.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the chopped onion along with bay leaves, allspice, and juniper.
3. Add the grated carrots and parsnips, continue to sauté for several minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and turmeric.
5. Add some water and simmer until vegetables are tender.
6. Peel the celery root and slice it to about 0.6 inches in thickness. Boil in salted water for around 20 minutes, until softened.
7. Prepare a batter from the wheat flour, water, ground seaweed and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter.
8. Dip the celery root slices in the batter and fry in a pan with enough oil until golden brown.
9. Arrange the fried celery root slices over the sautéd vegetables.