Celeriac in Salt Crust

Combine the coarse sea salt, plain flour, thyme leaves, cracked black pepper, and fennel seeds in a large bowl. Add the cold water gradually, mixing with your hands until the mixture forms a stiff, cohesive dough — it should hold together without cracking but not be sticky. If needed, add water one teaspoon at a time.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the salt dough into a large circle roughly 1cm thick and wide enough to fully enclose the celeriac. Place the scrubbed celeriac in the centre, wrap the dough up and over, pressing firmly to seal all seams with no gaps. Place seam-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C / gas 7). Place the sealed celeriac on the middle rack and bake for 90 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and rock-hard.

While the celeriac bakes, combine the minced shallot with the lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl and let the shallot macerate for 10 minutes to mellow its bite.

Add the olive oil, parsley, capers, Dijon mustard, and grated garlic to the shallot mixture. Whisk together until emulsified, then season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Set the salsa verde aside at room temperature.

Remove the celeriac from the oven and allow the sealed crust to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes — this carries over heat into the very centre.

Crack open the salt crust firmly with the back of a heavy knife or a kitchen mallet and discard all crust pieces. Peel away and discard the celeriac's outer skin, which will slip off easily, revealing the yielding, fragrant flesh beneath.

Cut the celeriac into four generous wedges. Place on warm plates, spoon the herb and caper salsa liberally over each portion, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, and serve immediately.