Braised celery with saffron, potatoes and green olives
“Ooh yum, celery for dinner!” Said no-one ever. But when a mighty pert bunch costs two bucks, we’ll give the what-the-heck-do-you-do-with-bulk-celery challenge a red hot go. Soup is the most obvious solution, but if it’s hot, that’s not really a G.O.. There’s only so much celery you can eat raw, so braising strikes us as a good way to go. This dish is surprisingly delicious and tastes best at room temperature, as many things seem to do. You don’t need to include the saffron; we know it’s exxie. Wine isn’t critical either, and you could throw in some capers and chuck over chopped flat-leaf parsley if you wanted. This dish is also excellent teamed with chicken or fish, with a splodge of aioli over the top. The only non-negotiable is peeling the stalks; once celery’s relieved of those tedious stringy bits, it’s way more palatable. But look, if you like retrieving celery mulch from your dental regions, don’t let us stop you.
SERVES 6 (as a side)
large pinch of saffron threads, optional
60ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut into 1cm pieces
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
400g celery, preferably from the ‘heart’, peeled and leaves reserved
400g unpeeled chat or other baby potatoes, halved
4 sprigs of thyme
125ml (½ cup) white wine
375ml (1½ cups) chicken stock, approximately
75g (½ cup) pitted green olives
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of sugar
Sprinkle the saffron over 2½ tbsp hot water in a small bowl, then stand for 20 minutes to infuse.
Meanwhile, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the celery, potato and thyme, then cook, covered and stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the white wine, cook for 4-5 minutes until it boils and reduces by about a half, then add the saffron mixture, if using, the stock, olives, lemon juice and sugar; the vegetables should be only just covered by liquid so add slightly less, or a tad extra, if needed. Don’t drown them though.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally so the potatoes cook evenly, for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Chop a few of the reserved leaves and strew these over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note; if you want to concentrate the flavours even more, strain off the cooking liquid, return it to the pan, then boil it until it reduces and thickens slightly. (‘Thickens slightly’ is relative really, as it’s not going to exactly be any kind of ‘thick’. But it will take on slightly more body, especially if you’ve used a good, home-made chicken stock. Which you absolutely should if poss.
