The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Cream-of-Celery Soup. — Boil a trimmed head of Celery in 1 pint of water from thirty to forty-five minutes ; boil a piece of mace and a large slice of onion in 1 pint of milk: mix 1 tablespoonful of flour with 2 table-spoonfuls of cold milk, add to boiling milk, and cook ten minutes. Mash Celery in the water in which it has been cooked, stir into the boiling milk, add 1 table-spoonful of butter, and season with salt and pepper ta taste. Strain, and serve immediately. The flavour is improved by adding 1 teacupful of whipped cream when the soup is in the tureen. Fried Celery. — (1) Boil two or three good and well-trimmed heads of Celery till half-cooked or a little more ; take them out, drain thoroughly, cut them into short lengths, dip them in batter, and fry in hot fat to a light brown. This dish, if well done, is excellent ; but it is useless to attempt it without a deep frying-pan, and plenty of oil or fat to fry in. (2) Trim off the green and discoloured parts of the Celery, wash it well, then drain and cut it into pieces of an equal length. Prepare a frying-batter, and put a good-sized lump of fat into a flat stewpan. Make the fat hot, dip the pieces of Celery into the batter, then put them into the pan of fat, and fry until nicely browned. Drain the Celery, letting as much of the fat run off as possible, then put it on a hot dish over which has been spread a folded napkin or an ornamental dish-paper ; dust a small quantity of salt over, and serve. Frizzled Celery. — Select one large head of fine Celery, pare off the green stalks and cut off the root, which can be used for salad. Cut the stalk lengthwise into four equal parts : wash them well in cold water and cut each one into pieces about 3in. long, by doing which all the branches will be separated. With the aid of a small keen knife pare the thin sides a little, making five or six slits in each piece, starting from the top, downwards, leaving Jin. to fin. uncut, and put them in cold water with plenty of ice, letting them remain there for about two hours. Take them out from the ice-water, artistically arrange them on a round glass dish, and serve. Celery arranged and served in this way makes a beautiful effect on the table, but requires time and patience in its preparation. Pickled Celery. — Cut the stalks from two or three heads of Celery into nice equal lengths ; wash these thoroughly in plenty of water, put them in a bowl, cover them with brine strong enough to bear an egg, and leave them for a week or ten days. At the end of that time refresh the Celery in plenty of clean water, and place it on a sieve where it may drain until di'y. Boil sufficient vinegar to cover the Celery, with any kind of spices cared for. Put the Celery in a jar, pour the boilingvinegar over it, and leave until the vineg'ar is cold ; then cover the top of the jar with stout brown paper, and tie it down tightly. Place in a dry store cupboard, and use as required.