food to glow

This post has been sponsored by Elsinore. All thoughts and opinions – as always – are my own. Read my Disclosure policy here.

Why not make these caviar and crab-topped celeriac rösti waffles for an easy, luxurious, restaurant-style supper – but in your own home? And use black lumpfish caviar, as well as tinned or frozen crab meat, for a very affordable and delicious treat! Child-friendly options included in the recipe card, so they don’t need to miss out.

As most of you know, I don’t have a huge sweet tooth. Sure, I do eat sweet things occasionally, but they aren’t really my thing. So it might surprise you that I own a waffle maker. And that it gets used fairly frequently.

What, other than waffles does one make in a waffle maker? Well, rösti waffles. I’ve got a sweet potato rösti waffle already here, as well as kimchi rice waffles. And now that I have, for the sake of my joints and gut, adopted a lower carbohydrate diet, I thought it high time I made celeriac ones. And I’m soooo glad that I did. Andrew loved them too. And he can eat what the heck he likes. 🙂

So what are celeriac rösti waffles like? 

Celeriac itself, like potato, is very mild in taste. What it doesn’t have much of – and what makes it so low in carbohydrates – is starch. Starch is what makes potatoes brown so well and get crispy when fried. 

But I’ve come up with a way to get some of that missing texture. And it is very easy. Basically you cook the seasoned celeriac rosti mixture in a waffle maker for ease, and to help it keep its shape. Then you lightly fry the röstis in a little olive oil for just a minute or two. Or, you could just dollop modest scoops of the mixture into a hot oiled pan, pat down into patties and fry until done. I find that doing them in a waffle maker makes them hold together a lot better though. 

Another thing that also helps to bind them is an egg and a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed. You could add some grated cheese instead of the flax if you wish. Or as well as.

And the taste? The taste is delicate, and the texture is soft and comforting. A perfect vehicle for punchier flavours, like caviar. 

What do you need for celeriac rösti waffles? 

Celeriac, shredded in a food processor or on a box grater

Olive oil, a little for in the mixture and some for your frying pan if you wish to further crisp up the rösti

An egg 

2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds

Dijon mustard

Dried chives, tarragon or parsley

Crème fraîche or thick sour cream

Nutmeg (freshly grated please)

Lemon (yep, fresh)

White pepper

Samphire, optional but very good (it tastes like asparagus but comes from the sea!)

Crab meat – tinned, frozen (defrosted) or fresh

Black lumpfish caviar – I am using Elsinore brand

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How do I make this recipe?

This recipe is very easy, but gives you a rather luxurious result. All that you do is grate the celeriac and mix it with the egg, flax, mustard, olive oil, dried herbs of choice, and a little salt and pepper. Let this sit while you heat a waffle maker. Spray the plates with an oil spray, then dollop on some of the mixture. For my waffle maker I cooked my batch for eight minutes, but it will depend on your appliance. Then fry them in a small amount of oil to crisp up a bit. It won’t get very crisp, but it does help. You can skip this if you are watching your fat intake.   

If you wish to make these in a frying pan, place a few mounds of the celeriac mixture into hot oil and flatten well with a spatula. Cook on both sides until browned. Take care when flipping. I recommend using two spatulas – one to slip under the rösti and one to steady it on the top as you flip. 

While the röstis are cooking, prep the deeply delicious toppings. Mix the crème fraîche with the crab meat, lemon juice, nutmeg and white pepper. If using the samphire, steam for 3 minutes then rinse with cold water to cool it down. Take the caviar from the refrigerator now, too.

Then it is a matter of plating up the celeriac rösti waffles, spooning over some of the creamy crab sauce, and topping with samphire and lovely, savory black lumpfish caviar.

Why add caviar? 

Caviar is a perfect partner for these röstis, allowing the former to quite literally pop. The taste is mildly salty, with a little rounded sweetness and a back note of savoury umami. Not being someone who generally likes caviar (it’s always been pretty cheap stuff atop a canapé), I was honestly surprised how much I like black lumpfish caviar. The texture and taste are pleasantly delicate. 

How to eat caviar

Caviar loves eggs, red onion, sour cream, toast, whole grains, potatoes, pasta, gnocchi, lightly cooked root vegetables and more. It is always served cold – don’t cook with it! But it is great served atop both warm and cold foods. Why not try it on a baked potato with sour cream? Or a big pile of fluffy scrambled eggs? Or even some cheesy nachos? And of course, topping a classic blini (make my really fab, pretty authentic blini recipe, which includes a lentil “caviar” recipe, too)

**Elsinore Black Lumpfish Caviar (50g) is found in the chilled fish aisle in Waitrose, and online from Ocado. Why not TRY FOR FREE via the Shopmium app?**

Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Food To Glow online and ad-free. I really appreciate it. Any questions about the recipe or suitable tweaks, just ask 🙂

Public Service Announcement: if you can’t get celeriac, make potato röstis. Or serve the caviar and crab topping over a bought potato waffle! (above)