The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Celery with Cream. — (1) Cut off the outside pieces of some Celery, remove the hard stems, and cut it into the lengths required ; well wash these and boil them in plenty of water for ten minutes ; then drain, refresh in cold water, and cut to equal lengths. Put them in a stewpan with some pieces of bacon and 1 pinch of salt, cover them with broth that has not had the fat skimmed off, and add the juice of half a lemon or 1 wineglassful of white wine ; put a sheet of paper over the top, and boil them on a moderate fire till they are done. Take them out carefully one by one and drain them on a sieve, trim nicely, arrange on a dish, pour over some bechamel sauce reduced with 1 teacupful of cream, and serve hot. (2) Pare nicely four heads of Celery, cut them into pieces 2 in. in length, and wash thoroughly ; then remove from the water with the hands and lay them on a napkin, this preventing sand from adhering to the Celery. Blanch them in boiling salted water for five minutes ; then remove, drain, and put in a saute-pan with 2 oz. of butter and 1 table-spoonful of potato-flour, stirring all well together, and moistening with 1 pint of consomme. Cook and reduce the whole for twenty minutes. When done, thicken with two beaten yolks of eggs diluted in 3 table-spoonfuls of cream, and add a pinch of grated nutmeg. Serve garnished with six croutons. Celery Cream Soup. Put 3 pints of stock into a saucepan with a small piece of lean cooked ham and an onion, both finely minced, and boil for a few minutes. Wash a few sticks of Celery, chop them up (having sufficient to fill a breakfastcup), boil them for ten minutes, and then strain off all the water. Mix ljoz. of warmed butter with 1 table-spoonful of flour, stir it into the boiling stock to thicken it, and pass the whole through a fine sieve into another saucepan. Add the Celery and 1 pint of milk, dredg'e in salt and pepper to taste, and simmer gently on the side of the fire for ten minutes ; then sprinkle in a pinch of the green leaf of the Celery finelychopped, pour the soup into the tureen, and serve very hot. The soup should be frequently skimmed while cooking. Celery Brink (American). — Wash three heads of Celery, and chop them up very fine, together with 3 lb. of lean beef ; put this into a saucepan with 3 qts. of water, and boil very slowly for about an hour. Sprinkle in salt and cayenne pepper to taste, pass the liquor through a fine sieve or cloth into another saucepan, and skim well. Beat in the whites of four eggs, boil again quickly for a few minutes, and pass the liquor three or four times through a cloth until it is quite clear. Add a little browning of burnt sugar, let the liquor cool, and beat in the whites of two more eggs to give a froth to the drink. A third of a glassful of this, filled up with boiling water poured from a height, will be sufficient for a good drink. Celery Fritters. — (1) Wash thoroughly a head of Celery, put it into a saucepan of water and boil it until it is quite tender. Take it out, drain it quite dry, and cut the white stalks into pieces about 4 in. in length. Dip these into batter, plunge them into a frying-pan of boiling fat, and fry until of a good brown colour. Take them out, drain, put them on a napkin over a dish, and serve. See Fig. 396. For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, etc., referred to, see under their special heads.