How to Make Celeriac Chips at Home

Celeriac can look intimidating to peel, but all it takes is a sharp knife and a readiness to try something new. If the peel isn't too bumpy, it is sometimes possible to use a vegetable peeler.

You will find it best to cut a flat bottom on the vegetable so it can sit upright on the cutting board. This adds stability while you're peeling and helps prevent slips of the knife. 

While holding the celeriac firmly, cut the peel off in strips, from top to bottom.

Unless you have very good knife skills, a mandoline or similar slicer is almost essential for making celeriac chips.

Traditional French-type mandolin slicers are great if you do a lot of slicing, but they can be expensive. There is a new generation of slicers on the market that cost less. OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer and the Kyocera Adjustable Ceramic Mandoline Slicer are two that come highly recommended.

It is vital to protect your fingers when using a slicer. Slicers come with hand guards, which have little teeth to grip the vegetable. These are the best thing to use with a slicer. To increase the effectiveness of the guard, slice a flat surface on the vegetable for the guard to grip.

Cut-resistant gloves are another protective measure you can take. They are not cut-proof but should reduce the risk. They're handy in the kitchen because you can wear the glove when chopping vegetables and cutting meat as well.

To fry the chips, heat about 1/4- to 1/2-inch of oil in a pan. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the celeriac or the chips will be excessively greasy. A quick way to check is to put the end of the wooden spoon handle into the oil. If a lot of bubbles form, the oil is hot enough.

Place the chips carefully into the oil. It's safest to use tongs for this. If you find that the chips are not cooking evenly, try cutting them in half.

When the chips begin to brown around the edges, turn them over using tongs.

OXO Good Grips Tongs are a good choice for quality, affordable tongs. They have a heat-resistant handle and can be locked to fit easily into a drawer for storage.

Place the cooked chips on paper toweling to drain off any excess grease. Allow them to drain and cool while you finish frying the rest of the celeriac.

Celeriac chips are best eaten fresh, as they lose their crispiness after awhile, though they will still taste good. You can partially restore the crispness in a microwave or toaster oven.