Recipe & Pic from NYT Cooking
Braised Celery is THE BEST, seriously one of our favorite dishes on the farm. Serve this with a simple roast chicken and you have a meal worth inviting friends over for!
1 head celery
½ cup chicken stock or veggie stock
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup olive oil
1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbs whole dried peppercorns
3 tbs butter
pinch of dried chile flakes
Prepare the celery: Separate the stalks, and reserve some celery leaves for garnish. Gently peel the outer layer of the thicker stalks to remove any tough strings. Cutting at a sharp angle, trim and discard the tips of the stalks, then cut stalks on an angle into 3-inch pieces. Add the celery segments to the boiling water, and cook just until slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the blanched celery to a large 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, and arrange in an even layer.
Top with the stock, wine and olive oil. Add the shallots, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and garlic, tucking them between the celery layers, then sprinkle with the peppercorns, chile flakes and ½ teaspoon salt. Dot with the butter, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Transfer to the oven and bake until celery is tender and yielding, about 45 minutes, if you want it to retain slight bite, or 1 hour or more, if you prefer it extra-tender.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the braised celery to a serving platter or shallow bowl and cover. Transfer the remaining liquid to a medium saucepan and boil over medium-high until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pour the reduced sauce over the celery, straining, if desired.