Celeriac steak with mash and gochujang sauce

Method

• step 1

  Wash and dry the celeriac well. Slice it into four ½-inch-thick discs, and then carefully slice off the outside skin, being careful not to remove more than ½cm from each disc. Use a sharp knife to score shallow lines ½cm apart across the top of each disc, then rotate each disc by 45 degrees and repeat so the score lines form rough diamonds. Set aside.

• step 2

  To make the marinade, whisk together the wine, olive oil, liquid smoke, soy sauce, maple syrup, thyme and peppercorns. Transfer three-quarters of the marinade to a bowl and set aside.

• step 3

  Transfer the discs to a large reusable ziplock bag and pour in the remaining quarter of the marinade. If the celeriac is not fully coated, use a little more marinade from the bowl. Seal the bag and put in the fridge to marinate for 1-4 hours.

• step 4

  Once the celeriac is marinated, heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the celeriac from the marinade and put on the tray, scored-side up. Using a pastry brush, coat the celeriac in a little extra marinade before putting the tray in the oven.

• step 5

  Cook for 15 minutes before turning the discs over, brushing with a little extra marinade and cooking for a further 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade for the sauce.

• step 6

  While the celeriac cooks, make the mash. Heat a large pan of water until boiling, then cook the potatoes for 20 minutes until very tender and a knife can easily be inserted into the centres. Drain the potatoes and leave them to steam in the colander for 5 minutes.

• step 7

  Return the potatoes to the pan and mash well until smooth. Add the butter and then the soy milk a splash at a time (you may not need all of it). Season with salt and pepper then cover to keep warm.

• step 8

  To make the sauce, add the gochujang and soy milk to the reserved marinade, and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture into a medium, high-sided frying pan and warm over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, but don’t allow the sauce to boil. Reduce the sauce by half until you have a glossy, aromatic sauce which is a chocolatey brown colour. If the sauce thickens too much, use a little extra wine to thin it out.

• step 9

  Serve the celeriac steaks, scored-side up, on top of the mash with a generous serving of sauce on top.