Cold Celery Recipes

CHINESE COLD CELERY SLICES

Steps:

• Mix together soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, sugar and hot sauce. Set aside.
• Slice celery on a slight diagonal and scald in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.
• Drain and put celery in ice cold water for 1 minute. Drain again and pour the sauce over the celery.

SPICY COLD BRAISED CELERY

Steps:

• Boil the celery in lightly salted water for 1 minute. Drain, cool under cold running water and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet and saute the scallions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth, coriander seeds, celery seeds and chili-pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the celery and lemon juice. Cover, reduce heat to very low and simmer until the celery is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. If more than 1 cup of broth remains, remove the celery and continue cooking until the broth has reduced. Recombine celery and broth in a flat container, add the salt and refrigerate, covered with tinfoil, for 1 hour.
• Chop 1/2 of the cilantro leaves with the celery leaves and add to the celery. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top and serve.

CHILLED CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain.
• Cook celery, onion, and leek in oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients (vegetables may not be fully submerged) and simmer, covered, until celery and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Purée in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids, then discarding them. Set bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold. Season with salt. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

CHILLED CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan simmer water, celery, onion, and caraway seeds until celery is very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Cool mixture slightly and in a blender puree in batches until smooth, transferring to a bowl.
• Stir in buttermilk and salt and pepper to taste.
• Chill soup, covered, at least until cold, about 6 hours, and up to 1 day (after that, it will lose its fresh taste).
• Before serving, season with salt and pepper, if necessary.