Braised Celery on Kale or Greens
This braised celery dish really highlights the difference between FFM celery and the run-of-the-mill grocery aisle stuff. What's first noticeable is the dark green color and the thinner stalks. This simple dish takes advantage of the sublime taste of this veggie, and makes a wonderful accompaniment to roasted chicken.
Remove the root ends from the celery stalks. Cut the stalks into three or four pieces. The pieces should be uniform in length—about three inches. Remove the leaves and set aside. Remove and save the small inner ribs from the leaf end of the celery stalks. Place these in a plastic bag for another use.
Poach or braise the celery, covered, in a small amount of water with the thyme and bay leave and a little salt and pepper. You may have to add water during the cooking time. The water should just cover the pieces of celery. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the celery can be pieced easily with a sharp knife.
Heat the oil or butter in a pan and add the cooked greens or kale. Season well with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a nest of greens on each serving plate (4 total). Place three or four pieces of celery on each serving of greens. Garnish with minced celery leaves mixed with the minced sage or parsley leaves.
Variation: Remove the celery from the poaching liquid. Boil the liquid until there are only a couple of teaspoons remaining. Add ½ cup of cream. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle the cream sauce over the celery and greens. This would be a great first course.
You could do a large batch of celery and then reheat it from time to time to use throughout the week. Save the celery in its poaching water
Ingredients
Directions
Remove the root ends from the celery stalks. Cut the stalks into three or four pieces. The pieces should be uniform in length—about three inches. Remove the leaves and set aside. Remove and save the small inner ribs from the leaf end of the celery stalks. Place these in a plastic bag for another use.
Poach or braise the celery, covered, in a small amount of water with the thyme and bay leave and a little salt and pepper. You may have to add water during the cooking time. The water should just cover the pieces of celery. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the celery can be pieced easily with a sharp knife.
Heat the oil or butter in a pan and add the cooked greens or kale. Season well with salt and pepper.
To serve, place a nest of greens on each serving plate (4 total). Place three or four pieces of celery on each serving of greens. Garnish with minced celery leaves mixed with the minced sage or parsley leaves.
Variation: Remove the celery from the poaching liquid. Boil the liquid until there are only a couple of teaspoons remaining. Add ½ cup of cream. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle the cream sauce over the celery and greens. This would be a great first course.