Braised celery
If you love raw celery then why not try this easy side dish of celery slow-cooked in chicken stock as an accompaniment to roast chicken.
- 2 celery hearts
- 150ml dry white wine
- 150ml chicken stock
- 6 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 40g butter
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal104
- fat8.7g
- saturates0g
- carbs3g
- sugars0g
- fibre1.4g
- protein0.8g
- salt0.63g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Trim the stalks to around 12cm from the base of each celery heart. Reserve any loose stalks from the outside and keep for future use – maybe a bloody Mary. Cut the brown base off the bottom in a thin sliver, being careful to keep all the stalks attached and intact. Cut the hearts into quarters, or halves, lengthways. Place in a shallow, rectangle ovenproof dish (a lasagne dish is ideal).
step 2
Pour over the wine and chicken stock. Scatter with peppercorns and bay leaves. Sprinkle with lemon juice, dot with butter and cover the dish with foil.
step 3
Bake for 1½ hours or until the celery is very tender. Perfect with roast pheasant, or chicken, remembering that the celery juice can be incorporated into the gravy.