One of the most fascinating dishes to come out of the latest season at Copenhagen's newly reopened Noma, a season dedicated entirely to plants, with just a vegetarian or full vegan menu on offer, is a shawarma with a difference – it's made of celeriac and truffles.
Shawarma is a classic Middle Eastern dish of thin slices of meat packed tightly and then roasted on a spit, which are then shaved off and usually served with flatbread and condiments.
In the same way the Noma shawarma features thin slices of celeriac covered in various purees made from more celeriac, truffle and umami-packed fungi. The shawarma tower is then cooked on a bbq, with apples spiked at the top so that the juice runs down onto the 'meat.'
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Slices of caramelised celeriac are then shaved off and served with pieces of the cooked apple, currants, sea herbs and a koji emulsion, plus more umami with a sauce of truffles, mushroom, seaweed and brown butter, according to Munchies. As a final touch, guests are given a piece of sourdough to mop up the sauce.
The dish is served around two thirds of the way through the current vegetable menu, which runs through to September. Another brilliant idea from René Redzepi and the Noma team, one which we're sure will inspire a host of imitators.