Celery (Céleri)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-quart stockpot for parboiling
• •Wide 3-quart lidded sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven
• •Kitchen twine
• •Skimmer or broad slotted spoon
• •Fine-mesh strainer

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose and trim

   Choose compact celery hearts with pale ribs that snap cleanly and show no coarse threads along the break. Remove every dark green outer rib and all leaves, but leave enough of each root end intact to hold the heart together. Scrape the roots clean, cut each heart to 8 inches (20 cm) from the root, and wash carefully between the ribs; trapped grit has an astonishing talent for surviving every other precaution.

   Pull one string from a trimmed rib and taste the exposed flesh. It should be juicy, mild, and tender. If the entire head is coarse and bitter, use it for soup and find better celery for this braise.
2. 2

   Parboil and cool

   Bring the cold water to a full boil in a pot broad enough to hold the celery without crushing it. Lower in the hearts, return the water to a steady boil, and parboil for exactly 15 minutes. Transfer them immediately to the ice water and cool completely, then drain root-side down. The parboil begins the tenderizing and removes the raw edge; the cold water stops the cooking before the ribs lose their shape. If a few strings stand proud after cooling, pull them away now.

3. 3

   Tie and braise

   Tie each cooled heart loosely in three places with kitchen twine so the ribs remain aligned without being pinched. Apply Braised Vegetables (No. 275) exactly as directed, arranging both hearts in one layer in a wide three-quart lidded pan. Keep its covered sweat and gentle stock cooking intact; they expel excess water, then replace it with the flavor of pork, aromatics, and white stock. Allow about 35 to 45 minutes once the liquor reaches a bare tremble. The celery is ready when a thin skewer passes through the thickest rib near the root with almost no resistance. If the liquor begins boiling hard, pull the pan from the heat until it calms, then continue more gently.

4. 4

   Drain and reduce

   Lift the celery onto a tray without squeezing it. For immediate service, complete the finishing direction in Braised Vegetables (No. 275): strain the cooking liquor, remove its surface grease, and reduce it in a wide sauté pan until it is nappant, lightly coating the back of a spoon. If the liquor reduces too far and turns sticky, stop. Ça se rattrape: whisk in a spoonful of the reserved cooking liquor, or hot water if none remains, and return it briefly to gentle heat. Skim again if beads of fat collect on the surface.

5. 5

   Cut and double

   Remove the twine and release the ribs from the root while they are still warm and supple. Cut every stalk crosswise into three equal sections, then double each section back on itself to make a compact curved parcel. This folding is the original service shape, not decoration for its own sake; it gathers each tender stalk into a portion that holds the glaze. If a section tears, tuck the broken ends underneath and carry on. Never apologize at your own table.

6. 6

   Glaze and serve

   Set the folded celery into the reduced liquor and turn it carefully over gentle heat for 2 to 3 minutes, just until every surface gleams. Arrange the pieces in overlapping rows on a warmed oval platter and spoon over the remaining glaze. Serve beside roast veal, pork, or poultry while the celery is tender and glossy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Pale celery matters more than a fashionable variety. Look for compact hearts with thick, juicy ribs and very few exposed strings. Ordinary green celery can work only when its inner heart is genuinely tender; peeling a few strings helps, but it cannot transform a coarse head.
• •The eight-inch trim is practical. It lets the hearts lie flat in a home-sized pan, cook at the same rate, and produce sections that can be doubled neatly after braising.
• •Ask a butcher for fresh, unsmoked pork skin if the pork rind required by Braised Vegetables (No. 275) is not displayed. Smoked rind changes the entire braise, while fresh skin supplies the quiet body the original preparation intends.
• •Serve céleri braisé with a simply roasted bird, pork loin, or veal. Its savory glaze wants the browned juices of a roast nearby, and a dry white wine suits the table without distracting from either.

Advance Preparation

• •The celery can be braised one day ahead. Follow the holding direction in Braised Vegetables (No. 275): place the cooked hearts in a shallow container, strain the cooking liquor over them while hot without removing its grease, and cover the surface directly with buttered parchment. Cool promptly and refrigerate.
• •To finish, lift out the celery, remove the chilled fat from the liquor, and reheat both gently. Reduce the liquor and shape the stalks only after they are warm; cold celery is less supple and may crack when doubled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)