Saturday, July 26, 2008

Baked Celery with Herb Sauce


This easy celery casserole, which can be served as a vegetarian main or as a vegetable side dish, can be cooked in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator until ready. Add the breadcrumbs just before baking. Recipe serves 2 as a meal or 4-6 as a side.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small bunches of celery
2 teaspoons salt
2 ounces (60 g) butter
1 ounce (30 g) fresh breadcrumbs
Sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
2/3 cup thickened cream
2 teaspoons dried chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried sweet basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried chopped chives
1/4-1/3 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rinse celery.
2. To make sauce, combine wine and herbs in a small saucepan and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Add stock and cream plus salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add celery and cook for 10-15 minutes, until almost tender. Do not overcook. Drain.
4. Grease a baking dish with some of the butter. Arrange celery in the dish and pour sauce over. Cover completely with breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining butter. Bake for about 30 minutes or until browned.

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