ROSTI POTATOES WITH CELERIAC

If you've never eaten celeriac--or seen it for that matter--I heartily recommend that you give it a try. Its gnarly exterior hides a refreshingly sweet, crispy treat. Shredded raw it's a great addition to a salad. Or, you could try it in a dish with potatoes, either as an addition or in place of some of the spuds.

I first encountered rosti potatoes when I traveled to Switzerland. These crispy, skillet-sized potato cakes are sheer heaven with their creamy exterior. I was surprised to find a recipe for rosti in a cookbook I recently acquired, Best of Weight Watchers' Magazine. I opted to make one large cake instead of the 8 smaller cakes.

4 Servings - 2 WW pts per serving

1 medium (1/2 lb) Russet potato

1 small (1/2 lb) celeriac, peeled

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp crushed black peppercorns

2 tsp olive oil

PREHEAT the oven to 475 degrees. Grate the potato and the celeriac and combine with the mustard and pepper in a bowl. Divide the mixture into 8 even mounds.

HEAT a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Swirl in 1 tsp of the oil , then transfer 4 of the mounds to the skillet and press with a spatula to form 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Cook the rosti until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with the other 4 mounds.

TRANSFER the rosti to a nonstick baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

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TASTE NOTES

I used my cast iron skillet to make the one large cake. Flipping it was a bit of a mess (all over my ceramic topped stove, but thankfully it cleans easily). The celeriac and Dijon mustard added wonderful flavor and kept this side dish points friendly. Served with a mustard-apricot glazed loin of pork and broccoli rabe, it was a terrific fall dish.