Braised Celery Hearts With Tomato And Olives Recipes

BRAISED CELERY HEARTS

Steps:

• Keeping celery ribs attached at base, peel outer ribs of celery hearts with a vegetable peeler, then trim ends and halve hearts lengthwise.
• Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add celery and cook, turning with tongs occasionally, until pale golden on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook, covered, until liquid is evaporated and celery is tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

BRAISED CELERY HEARTS WITH TOMATO AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Leaving root ends intact, strip off outer branches, leaving about 2 pounds tender, leafy inner stalks. Cut into 8-inch lengths . Quarter lengthwise, place in large mixing bowl, toss with salt, set aside.
• Put oven racks in top position, preheat broiler. Place tomatoes in pie plate, drizzle with one tablespoon oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil, stirring occasionally, until surface moisture evaporates and tomatoes are charred, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, saute until soft and golden, stirring frequently, about 7 mintues. Transfer onions to shallow 3-quart gratin dish. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet over medium heat. Place celery flat side down in a singer layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sear without moving, until celery is golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn hearts with tongs and brown second side. Transfer celery to dish with onions, arrange snugly. Add 3 tablespoons more olive oil to skillet, brown remaining celery. Arrange in gratin dish. (Celery should be in a single layer.) Slide tomatoes over celery and onions. Add wine and stock to gratin dish, drizzle vegetables with remaining oil. Shake dish gently to settle vegetables. Position black olives in low spots so they don't dry out.
• Adjust oven racks to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set gratin dish over low flame and bring to a simmer. Taste liquid and season with salt, if necessary, or a pinch of sugar if acidic. Shake pan to distribute. Cover with foil, transfer to oven and bake until celery is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil, increase oven temperature to 475 degrees, bake until tips of vegetables are brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with julienned anchovy fillets and toasted breadcrumbs, if desired.

TOMATO-BRAISED CELERY WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a straight-sided skillet over medium. Add thinly sliced onion and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in celery, tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaves.
• Bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to oven. Cook, stirring once, 30 minutes. Stir in olives; return to oven and cook, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve.

PAN-COOKED CELERY WITH TOMATOES AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Place the celery in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 5 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the heat and drain.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Stir until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the anchovy if using, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Stir together, then stir in the celery. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the remaining parsley just before serving.

BRAISED HEARTS OF CELERY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and drop in the celery. Boil until partially cooked, about 3 minutes. Drain, pat dry and lay side by side, cut side up, in a baking dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Stir together for a minute, until fragrant, and add the stock, lemon juice, and the wine. Bring to a boil on top of the stove and pour over the celery. Season the celery with salt and pepper and lay the lemon slices on top. Cover tightly and place in the oven. Braise for 40 minutes, or until the celery is thoroughly tender but still holds its shape. Remove from the heat and allow the celery to cool in the liquid.
• Using tongs, remove the celery from the pot and cut the halved bunches lengthwise in half again. Transfer to a platter or a wide serving dish. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce by about half. Pour over the celery. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, grind on some pepper, sprinkle on the parsley and serve, or chill and serve cold or at room temperature. Spoon liquid from the platter over each portion.