With a good heart, and nicely blanched, this vegetable is generally
eaten raw, and is usually served with the cheese. Let the roots be
washed free from dirt, all the decayed and outside leaves being cut
off, preserving as much of the stalk as possible, and all specks or
blemishes being carefully removed. Should the celery be large, divide
it lengthwise into quarters, and place it, root downwards, in a
celery-glass, which should be rather more than half filled with water.
The top leaves may be curled, by shredding them in narrow strips with
the point of a clean skewer, at a distance of about 4 inches from the
top. _Average cost_, 2_d._ per head. _Sufficient._—Allow 2 heads for 4
or 5 persons. _Seasonable_ from October to April.
[Illustration: CELERY, IN GLASS.]
_Note._—This vegetable is exceedingly useful for flavouring soups,
sauces, &c., and makes a very nice addition to winter salad.
CELERY SAUCE, for Boiled Turkey, Poultry, &c.
_Ingredients._—6 heads of celery, 1 pint of white stock, 2 blades of
mace, 1 small bunch of savoury herbs; thickening of butter and flour,
or arrowroot, ½ pint of cream, lemon-juice. _Mode._—Boil the celery in
salt and water until tender, and cut it into pieces 2 inches long. Put
the stock into a stewpan with the mace and herbs, and let it simmer
for ½ hour to extract their flavour. Then strain the liquor, add the
celery, and a thickening of butter kneaded with flour, or, what is
still better, with arrowroot; just before serving, put in the cream,
boil it up, and squeeze in a little lemon-juice. If necessary, add a
seasoning of salt and white pepper. _Time._—25 minutes to boil the
celery. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 3_d._ _Sufficient_, this quantity for a
boiled turkey.
_Note._—This sauce may be made brown by using gravy instead of white
stock, and flavouring it with mushroom ketchup or Harvey’s sauce.
CELERY SAUCE (a more simple Recipe).
_Ingredients._—4 heads of celery, ½ pint of melted butter made with
milk, 1 blade of pounded mace; salt and white pepper to taste.
_Mode._—Wash the celery, boil it in salt and water till tender, and
cut it into pieces 2 inches long; make ½ pint melted butter by recipe;
put in the celery, pounded mace, and seasoning; simmer for 3 minutes,
when the sauce will be ready to serve. _Time._—25 minutes to boil the
celery. _Average cost_, 6_d._ _Sufficient_, this quantity for a boiled
fowl.