Celery Stewed Whole
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the celery
Cut off the coarse, green stalks and trim the tops to within 5 or 6 inches of the roots.
Scrape the roots, removing all rusty parts from the stalks and roots.
Parboil the celery in hot, salted water for 10 minutes.
Drain the celery and let it rest on a soft cloth for 15 minutes.
Stew and serve
In a saucepan, prepare enough stock or consommé to cover the celery heads.
Carefully place the celery heads into the stock without breaking them.
Stew slowly for 25 minutes or until tender.
Transfer the celery to a hot dish.
Thicken the remaining stock in the saucepan with browned roux, boil for 1 minute, and strain over the celery.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Celery
- Forms the dish itself; stewing softens its fibrous stalks until tender.
- Browned roux
- Thickens the stock into a smooth sauce and adds a toasted, savoury flavour.
- Stock or consommé
- Provides the cooking liquid that gently flavours and moistens the celery as it stews.
The step that matters
Stew slowly and keep the heads whole. Gentle, slow simmering softens the celery evenly without breaking it apart. Vigorous boiling can break down the tender stalks and cloud the stock.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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