Braised and baked celery

Show ingredients

Braised and baked celery

Main Serves 4 35 min
This easy celery gratin recipe is creamy but light and deliciously imbued with warming nutmeg. It can be served as an accompaniment – it's good with chicken and fish – but it also makes an excellent weeknight main with a pile of fragrant brown rice. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs before baking for a bit of extra crunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 celery head, trimmed and cut into 4-5cm pieces
  • 25g butter
  • 500ml veg or chicken stock
  • finely grated zest and juice, of ½ lemon
  • 5 tbsp double cream
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • a little nutmeg, grated

Method

Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 30 min

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5.

  • Step 2

    Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the celery, stock, lemon zest and juice. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, keeping a ladle of the stock. Put the celery in a snug fitting baking dish.

  • Step 3

    Mix the reserved stock, cream, egg yolks and cornflour in the same pan that you used for the celery. Heat gently, stirring, to thicken it slightly. Grate in a little nutmeg. Season.

  • Step 4

    Pour over the celery and bake for 20 minutes.