Braising celery is a delicious way to prepare it. Here’s a recipe from Emeril:
Braised Celery
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 head celery, ends trimmed and cut into 4-inch lengths
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons lightly toasted chopped walnuts
Instructions
In a large, non-stick skillet, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and celery. Add the chicken broth, Vermouth, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer, turning once, until the celery is tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and transfer the celery to serving plates. Spoon a little cooking liquid over each serving, and sprinkle with the parsley and toasted walnuts. Serve. Yield: 4 servings
Another great addition to a holiday meal or buffet is to serve celery in a salad. One of my favorites is Waldorf Salad. Simply combine medium diced celery, medium diced unpeeled apples, raisins (dark or golden), and walnuts(toasted or not). Toss lightly in a dressing made from mayonnaise, a sprinkle of sugar, and a bit of lemon juice. If you use the light mayo or the mayo made with canola oil this is a healthy, fiber filled salad, loaded with delicious textures and crunch.
Here’s another salad idea from Sara Moulton:
Sara Moulton says that parsley deserves a higher place in the American food chain. With celery as a companion, this recipe lets parsley shine.
½ cup walnuts
6 medium celery stalks
1 ounce Parmigiano- Reggiano
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and let the walnuts cool to room temperature. Coarsely chop the walnuts (about 1/3 cup).
Meanwhile, very thinly slice the celery crosswise (about 3 cups), and shave the cheese (about 1/3 cup).
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the salt until the salt has dissolved; gradually, whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Add the celery, parsley, cheese and toasted walnuts to the dressing and toss until combined. Serves 4.
I hope some of these ideas will help you find a place for celery on your holiday table. Thanks for reading! Sheila