Fall

Celery Gratin

March 12, 2012
4
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

My first thought was to sauté celery in butter and salt in a nod to Jane Grigson and her brilliant suggestion to fill celery stalks with good butter and a sprinkling of sea salt (my favorite way to enjoy raw celery). From there a gratin began to unfold. Cherry tomatoes add a pop of color and bright flavor, and the white wine, butter, cream and Gruyere cheese ... well, you can imagine all they add!

BlueKaleRoad

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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 bunch of celery (approximately 1 1/2 pounds), leaves removed (save for soup) and stalks cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • A few grinds of fresh black pepper
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and sliced in half
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Have an 8x8 or 9x9 inch broiler safe baking dish ready.
  2. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery slices, salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the celery begins to soften nicely. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. Give it a stir about halfway through.
  3. Remove the dish from the oven, stir in the cream and sprinkle the cheese on top. Return the baking dish to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If desired, turn on the broiler and let the cheese brown a little. Serve warm with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
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6 Reviews

Nanny S. January 17, 2013
I am in Australia and I have never heard of Kosher salt. Also, we don't have broilers. What is that? I might have something similar if you can describe it to me. I am very keen to try this dish as celery is abundant and cheap at the moment.
BlueKaleRoad January 18, 2013
Hi Nanny Sue, kosher salt has a larger grain than regular table salt and is a little less salty. You can substitute table salt, but I would decrease the amount a bit. A broiler is the overhead heating element in an oven, so if your oven doesn't have one you could heat the gratin to melt the cheese (it just won't brown as much as with the overhead heating). I hope this info helps! Please let me know if you have more questions. I'm delighted you'll be trying the celery gratin! :)
EmilyC March 13, 2012
Oh yum! Love the combination of celery and tomatoes! I'll bet this would be fantastic with grilled fish or chicken.
BlueKaleRoad June 28, 2012
Thank you, Emily! :)
boulangere March 13, 2012
Beautiful headnote.
BlueKaleRoad March 13, 2012
Very kind of you, boulangere!