Definition: celery

Nutritional values per 100 g: Protein 1.5 g; Carbohydrates 2.4 g; Fat 0.3 g; Calories 18 kcal.

With only 18 kcal/100 g, celery is one of the lowest-energy fresh vegetables (on a par with aubergine and spinach). It therefore has a place in "slimming cuisine" when eaten cooked, steamed or boiled, or raw with a light vinaigrette (and especially not "en rémoulade", i.e. grated and seasoned with mustard mayonnaise with capers, gherkins and herbs). Celery is rich in fibre, which is ideal for speeding up intestinal transit and combating constipation. It is worth noting that the fibre is better tolerated when the celery is finely grated or cooked. Another advantage is that it is rich in minerals (5 g/100 g), particularly potassium. A diet rich in potassium has recognised benefits for cardiovascular health. Finally, celery provides rare trace elements such as selenium, molybdenum and chromium.

Tasting:

Stalk celery

Grown in the Loire, south-west and eastern Pyrenees regions, celery is available on the market from late June to February. Outside this period, it is imported from Spain, Italy and Belgium. It has green leaves and its white, fleshy stalks should be shiny and crisp when fresh, with a fairly heavy base. When fresh, it can be stored for several days by soaking the base of the stalks in cold, salted water. It is also available canned (celery hearts and pieces for garnishing, au naturel) and is suitable for freezing. The stalks are eaten raw or cooked, and the dried leaves are used to flavour salads, soups and court-bouillon sauces.

To prepare: remove the large, tough outer ribs, green branches and leaves; cut the base into a pivot and shorten the ribs by about 20 centimetres.

To eat: raw, separate the stalks from each other, wash them and remove any stringy bits. The raw stalks can then be eaten with salt or in a salad. To cook, wash the shortened stalks in cold water, spreading the stalks apart, remove the strings from the outer stalks, and blanch in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, salt and tie the stalks into small bundles. Braised celery hearts accompany fatty meats, roasts and chicken. They can be cooked in béchamel sauce, au gratin or puréed. They are used in soups and sauces.

Celeriac

Grown in northern France and the Paris region, celeriac is available from mid-September to the end of April, and is at its best in autumn. The rest of the year, it is imported from Holland and Belgium. Sold with its leaves, its white-fleshed root should form a firm, heavy ball (between 800 g and 1 kg) that does not sound hollow. When fresh, it can be stored wrapped in a damp cloth for 3-4 days in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Unpeeled, it will keep for a few days longer. It is also available canned, grated or flavoured with vinegar, or even pickled. It can be eaten raw (allow 150 g per person) or cooked (allow twice as much).

To prepare it: peel it like a potato, rinse it and sprinkle it with lemon juice. To eat it cooked, cut it into pieces and blanch it for 5 minutes in boiling salted water. Cooked in slices and steamed, it retains all its flavour. It can also be used as a garnish, in purées or stews.

Celery salt, made from dried and powdered celeriac, is mainly used to season tomato juice, vegetable creams and salad dressings. It is also used in salt-free diets.

History: Native to the Mediterranean region, celery is a vegetable plant whose stalks and leaves (celery) and root and seeds (celeriac) are consumed. Celery is the result of the selection of a plant called marsh ache, which was used by the Ancients for both gastronomic (to flavour soups and fish) and therapeutic (to revive a person with its smell) purposes. Its seeds are a spice with a taste similar to fennel. Selection has resulted in two varieties of celery: stalk celery (in which the petioles between the stems and leaves have been developed) and celeriac (in which the root has been enlarged). Long limited to a role as a condiment, celery has gradually taken its place in our cuisine as a vegetable in its own right. But it was not until^{the 19th} century, when it was perfected in Germany, that it became a common vegetable on our tables.