Celeriac (céleri-rave), also known as turnip-rooted
celery, is a vegetable that is only slowly recovering
its former popularity. It is a great favourite abroad,
in Germany especially. To cook it, peel the roots
(which are the parts eaten), either quarter or slice
them, and boil in plenty of salted and acidulated
boiling water till tender; then drain, and serve with
any sauce to taste. In Germany, especially if to be
used en salade, a very favourite way, the celeriac is
cooked in weak stock instead of water. If parboiled
as above, and finished off by stewing in any rich
sauce to taste, it is particularly good, as it is also as a
purée, when it makes an excellent garnish for cutlets,
poultry, duck, etc. Its great advantage is that it
is at its best when celery is unprocurable, and can
be stored in the autumn like any other root vegetable.
Celery (céleri).—Besides being excellent raw, celery
makes a particularly good vegetable entremet, as
palatable as it is hygienic. It is considered most
wholesome for rheumatic persons. For most purposes
celery is first cooked thus: Trim the roots, and cut
the heads neatly to the same length, say six inches,
well wash them, and tie them up in neat bundles
with string or tape; now put them in a pan with
an onion, a blade of mace, some whole peppers, salt,
and enough boiling water to cover them generously;
bring this all to the boil, and let it cook for about
twenty-five minutes. You then drain it, place it
on a hot dish, and serve with good allemande, béchamel,
cream, Parmesan (a rich white sauce, made with
1 oz. of butter, a dessertspoonful of flour, half a pint
of the liquor in which the celery was cooked, a spoonful
of grated Parmesan cheese, and a drop or two of
lemon juice; stir over the fire till it is thick, and
smooth and use), espagnole, or any sauce to taste,
of course varying the name of the dish according
to the sauce used. A little lemon juice should always
be added to the water in which celery is cooked, as
this preserves its colour. Some cooks also consider
it best to blanch the celery first by plunging the
heads of celery, when trimmed, etc., into fast boiling
water, and letting them cook for ten minutes, after
which they are carefully drained, wiped, and put
on in either brown or white stock, milk, or milk
and water to cover them; this is gently brought to
the boil again, then drawn to the side of the stove,
and kept at simmering point till the celery is tender,
which will take from one and a half to two hours.
It can then be drained, and served very hot, with a
few drops of lemon squeezed over it, and a small
pat of butter on each head, or it can be served with
any sauce recommended for asparagus. If the
liquor in which the celery was cooked is freed from
fat, slightly thickened and served with the vegetable,
the dish is known as céleri au jus. When stewed
thus, it may be served with marrow precisely
as described for cardons au moëlle. Any cold celery
left over can be served au gratin, or cut into neat
pieces, dipped in good batter, and fried a golden