The Celery and How to Braise It

Many of us don’t find celery very tempting. We might munch on celery sticks when dieting. Occasionally we add diced celery to bread stuffing for turkey. Rarely, however, do we think of celery as an aromatic seasoning. Even less often do we consider it a cooked vegetable in its own right.

In other lands, celery is treated differently. The leaves and the stalks contribute excellent flavor to soups, stocks and stews. Years ago, when a few American friends and I bought celery at an outdoor market in Paris, the vendor laughed at us because we were interested only in the stalks. “But, Madame,” she insisted, “the leaves have the best celery flavor, especially for soups.”

In Europe and North Africa, cooked celery is served as an accompaniment. This is a great way to take advantage of a low-calorie vegetable that is always available. Celery can be poached in broth, for example, as one of the vegetables cooked with beef in French pot au feu.

The favorite technique for cooking celery as a side dish is braising. Fortunately for cooks in a hurry, celery’s braising time is brief because it is so tender. The French like to flavor the braising broth with sauteed onions, carrots, bacon and herbs. Moroccans also use onions, but they add garlic, a bit of tomato paste and some spice: a touch of cinnamon or a dash of cumin and turmeric.

Some North African cooks put a ground meat stuffing in each celery stalk. The trick here is to cook the celery stalks in a saute pan in one layer and keep the stuffing side facing up. An even easier way to make a substantial dish from celery is to include black-eyed peas or garbanzo beans in the braising liquid. This turns the humble celery into a satisfying vegetarian main course.

Levy’s “International Vegetable Cookbook” (Warner Books) won a James Beard Cookbook Award in 1994.

AROMATIC BRAISED CELERY WITH GARBANZO BEANS

9 to 10 stalks celery (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Salt, pepper

1 (15- or 16- ounce) can garbanzo beans or black-eyed peas, drained, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Serve this hearty dish with roast chicken or as a vegetarian entree with couscous, rice or orzo.

Peel celery to remove strings and cut in 3-inch lengths. Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a few seconds.

Whisk tomato paste with broth and add to pan. Add cumin, turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Add celery. Cover and cook over low heat about 25 minutes or until celery is very tender. Add a little water occasionally if sauce becomes too thick. Add garbanzo beans and heat through. Add 1 tablespoon parsley. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings. Season generously with pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Makes 4 side dishes or 2 to 3 main-course servings.

Each side-dish serving contains about:

236 calories; 767 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 2.50 grams fiber.