Ingredients
For the braised celery:
200g/7oz celery stalk, peeled, chopped 3cm/1¼in pieces
20g/¾oz shallots
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
400g/14oz water
salt and pepper
For the braised and pan fired chicory:
4 baby chicory heads (outer leaves removed)
20g/¾oz lemon juice
1 tsp salt
500g/1lb 2oz water
50g/1¾oz butter, unsalted
Caramelized baby onions:
22 baby onions
50g/1¾oz butter
Celeriac for the jus and garnish:
500g/1lb 2oz celeriac peeled and diced 2cm sq/¾in sq
100g/3½oz butter
300g/ 10½oz water or vegetable stock
For the braised chestnuts:
200g/7oz peeled chestnuts
300g/10½oz water
20g/¾oz celery peelings
20g/¾oz butter
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 tsp sugar

Method
1. For the braised celery: mix all the ingredients and braise the celery for 30-40 minutes, just under simmering point. Reserve.
2. For the roasted chicory: poach the chicory for 45 minutes at simmering point. Cool down, drain, exttract water with a cloth. Pan fry in foaming hazlenut butter for further 10 minutes.
3. For the celeriac jus and dice: cook the celeriac dice in foaming butter for about 30 minutes until dice is a dark brown colour. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve twelve of the best dices. Coat the remainder with the water and cook for 15 minutes. Extract juices in a conical strainer. Taste and correct seasoning. Reserve.
4. For the baby onions: pan fry the baby onions in foaming butter for 20 minutes, covered with buttered paper. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To cook the chestnuts: sweat the celery and chestnuts in butter. Add the herbs and seasoning and cook for 20 minutes.
6. To serve: re-heat all the vegetables and celeriac jus. Arrange the vegetables in a soup bowl and spoon the celeriac jus over.

Chef's note: a few slices of fresh truffle will go very nicely. Other vegetables could be added i.e. parsnips, swede, sweet potato or pumpkin.