Spectacularly Delicious

The second in our series of easy recipes (Simply Spectacularly Delicious if you missed it the first time with Honey Broiled Grapefruit.)

Celery Two Ways is braised celery hearts atop a bed of mashed celery root. Lifted from Daniel Bouloud. If you're going to steal recipes, why not from the masters? BTW, Bouloud recipes are always way better in a Bouloud restaurant. I've made a few things from his cookbooks, slavishly following the instructions but have never replicated his glossy perfection.

So my advice? Braise celery hearts and put them on top of a bed of buttery mashed celery root. 

Here's a recap of what went down this time around:

1 large (@ 2 lb.) celery root peeled and chunked
1 large red potato, peeled and chunked.
1/2 c. half and half,  maybe more
salt and white pepper

Cover with water, boil for 10 minutes, drain. Return to pan, add 1/2 cup half and half (it won't totally cover the roots) and simmer on low for 20 minutes. The liquid wll all but disappear. If you're in danger of running totally dry, add more half and half or milk. When totally soft mash well with as much butter as you dare. Salt, and for that extra special touch, white pepper to keep the whole thing like freshly fallen snow.

Meanwhile:

2 bunches celery 
Some cut up carrots
a peeled and cut up turnip
chicken broth
2 T. olive oil

Cut the celery bunches into desired serving length, taking care to keep the bunch intact at the root end. But do clean things up down there, trimming off the gross dry part, using a peeler on the outside stalks to remove the monsterous strand and lighten the color. Carefully cut into quarters.

Sauté the carrots and turnip in the olive oil for five minutes. Add the celery hearts and enough broth so that everything is swimming but not drowned. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Lift the celery hearts out of the braise only, save the carrots and turnips for a humble snack another time or discard out with a guilty conscious. 

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Written by skfsullivan on January 26, 2011 under ALL RECIPES, Famous Chefs, Simply Spectacularly Delicious (SSD), Vegetables.