What to use to cut celery root??

So I was making a celery root puree tonight (wonderful recipe from Michel Richard's "Happy in the Kitchen") and, after peeling it, I started cutting it into slices with one of my high end well sharpened - non laser though - gyutos that I normally love to death. Didn't work very well.

Switched to a chinese cleaver that cost 1/20 of the cost of the previous knife to make the slices before fine julienneing it and it worked like a charm (I did do the julienneing with a Gyuto though as I have better control of it.)

So, while I don't mean to start a flame war, I'm now wondering are their foods like celery root where, at least for the initial cutting, chinese style cleavers will work better then Gyutos or did I just pick the wrong Guyto from my collection??

If I did,what kind of Gyuto works really well for celery root - I'm sure I own one :- )

You clearly have to buy a new knife I find celery root also difficult because it is hard and somehow sticky, but with a really well thinned out gyuto it should be easier. For me, my very thin Carter HG funayuki or nakiri work best, although I have hopes for the longer 240 HiromotoAS after Dave's thinning job, need to try that out - I love celery root puree...

Stefan

to me, chinese cleavers work better on almost every vegetable.

I think I am all knived out for a while :- ).

I worried about using a really thin laser or my Carter as celery root is just so damn hard... I did tried two of my favorite more robust knives: a Devin ITK and a Taneka SG2 and both were problematic for the root slices although both worked dandy for the julienne..

Since I had to get the thing done, I just reached for my CCK Chinese cleaver which worked really well

Now I suppose what I should have done was try my shig Nakari that I have been itching to try on something challenging for it, but from previous experiences I knew the cleaver would make short work of the slices and I was in a hurry :- )

But actually I don't mind having an excuse to dip into my small but growing cleaver collection, I was just curious as to what people were using on Celery root...

anything heavy.

I use my itk for it with no problems.

And.. Any chance of getting that recipe?

My ITK worked but it was way too much work whereas the cleaver did it instantly.

As for the recipe: almost trivial (but isn't that the mark of a great recipe),

Fine julienne celery root. With a ratio of 2 parts celery root to 1 part chicken stock with a bit of freshly ground nutmeg, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for about 30 minutes (until tender). When the celery root is nice and tender, blend with one cup whole milk. Strain through a fine sieve into a pot. Finish with one tablespoon more butter , some salt and lemon juice to taste.

(I did modify his recipe with the lemon juice and butter to finish.)

Works amazingly well with scallops and the sauce is incredibly tasty on brocellete we discovered :- )...

Oh and I used the twice cooked scallop recipe from "Ideas in food" - sous vide then finish in a skillet

Slight mistake in recipe: it's 1/4 part milk, so:

so for example 4 cups celery root use 2 cups stock and 1/2 cup of whole milk - and 1 tablespoon per 1/2 cup of milk :- )

I just cut some last week for a party with a ZKramer with no issues.

I have a Zwilling/Kramer, I use it occasionally, it sharpens amazingly well (I have the 52100 version).

The profile and big belly makes me think of it in the same class as my nakaris, so I usually pull it out when I am thinking a nakari would be nice for this. I'll try it next time I make the puree. Thanks!

I have similar concerns sometimes chopping lemongrass. Not nearly as hard as celery root, but I worry about it causing chipping on my thinner gyutos.

My Heijis work great on celery root, and they aren't exactly lasers.

A good thin cleaver is near inpossible to beat for something like that. I just used mine on a rock-hard butternut squash last night.
If i had to use a gyuto, then id opt for sonething tall and thin like a a 270mm Takeda (perhaps slightly thinned bte).
The zkramer is essentially a nakiri with a point stuck on the end, so in not surprised it worked well. The big honkin Harner chef's that I used in passaround I'd imagine would also work well: tall, thin, and durable 01 steel.

Heavy convex blade performed very well on celery root, rutabaga and sweet potatoes for ldeep cuts (cutting the vegetable in strips). Sword grind (aka Heiji grind) performed well on shallow cross cuts. Height and weight is your friend here, whether it is a cleaver or a gyuto. Also, blade heavy knife is more effective than a knife that balances at the handle, as the weight forward carries a momentum and does work for you.

M

Haven't used one that works better for this than my Carter suji.

Celery root - is this the same as celeriac, a lumpy hard root veggie?

Another good test of hard veggies to cut is lotus root. May be hard to obtain in most parts of the US but anyone try this? It's difficult to cut if you want slightly thicker slices without having it wedge and break thus ruining the beautiful cross section tuber holes.

Yep celeriac = celery root, ugly beast but taste really good :- )

i use a CHEAP taiwan cleaver my MIL left for me. it was dull like a boyscout camp axe. i got it very sharp, and now i use it for everything "difficult"

i just did a celery root mash. it worked out well.

i did cut lotus root day before yesterday. (i call them wagon wheels, since i was a kid). the cleaver really splits the stuff like a wedge. i didnt worry about. it.

what does the most damage for me, is dirty LEEKS. the dirt inside the veg, sucks the sharpness out of any knife. like hitting the ground with my chainsaw. instant dull.