Check out our celery recipes.
Celery (photo)
Description
The base looks like a fennel bulb but has long straight stems and green leaves at the end. Healthy celery has fairly dark green leaves, a white heart and narrow, firm stems.
Preparation
It's best to peel it to remove the sections that are too fibrous and to pull out the stringy bits which are unpleasant to eat. Then cut it as per the recipe you're following.
Cooking
All parts of celery are edible, stems, sides and leaves. Celery has a very powerful, bitter and acidic aroma. It's used in soup, broth and stock. The stem and ends can be eaten raw in a salad, cooked alone or with other vegetables (in couscous, for example). The leaves can be used as an aromatic herb. Celery is often added into dishes alongside other herbs to add flavour.
Goes well with
- Salad with an orange vinaigrette
- Meat and fish as a garnish
- A little honey as a conserve
- Boiled meat in cooking water
- Sautéed noodles
Celeriac
Description
Celeriac looks like a big beige, irregular-shaped, ridged ball. It varies in weight from 600g to 1kg, and it can be anything from 15 to 25cm in diameter. Healthy celeriac should be heavy and firm, without any noticeable markings.
Preparation
Cut the stem and root first if they subsist. Peel all the surface with a knife and remove the eyes. To stop it going black when it oxidises with air, drizzle the juice of half a lemon all over the surface, then cut it as required for your recipe.
Cooking
It can be grated and mixed with mayonnaise to make remoulade or added raw to salads (but its tangy and slightly bitter flavour is likely to dominate!). It can be used in soup, mash, purée, as a side vegetable or incorporated into dishes (for example, cut into long thin strips and added to carrots and courgettes to make veggie spaghetti).
Goes well with
- Meat and fish as a garnish
- Mashed potatoes, with a touch of nutmeg
- Orange peel as a soup
- Soya sauce, roasted in the oven
In need of inspiration? See our celeriac recipes!
