from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Celery.
Photograph courtesy of wikioticslan
https://www.flickr.com/photos/51004712@N08/5112057844/
Céleri
Celery the vegetable.
Celery in France is in recipes for the aroma and taste that it brings to many soups and stews; used lightly it enhances and does not overpower the other ingredients. Individual members of the celery family are also served raw as part of salads and vegetable juices. However, celery seeds on their own have a strong taste, and they will be used as a spice. Celery salt is made from celery seeds and salt makes an excellent condiment. For all these reasons, I have included celery within the appendix on herbs and spices in the book behind this blog.
In the UK and the USA, most people still see only the traditional branch celery in our local supermarket; farmers' markets are the best place to find the other members of the celery family. In France and the rest of Europe, you will be made aware of the other members of the celery family in the markets and supermarkets.
In the UK and the USA, most people still see only the traditional branch celery in our local supermarket; farmers' markets are the best place to find the other members of the celery family. In France and the rest of Europe, you will be made aware of the other members of the celery family in the markets and supermarkets.
Céleri or Céleri Branche
Branch celery.
Branch celery, or blanching celery, is the celery that most of us recognize on sight by its long green stems. Branch celery’s exact origins are much disputed, but we know that it has been grown in the Mediterranean region for at least 3,000 years.
Even Guinea Fowl enjoy celeryhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/7846004@N05/4295002726/
Branch celery will be served raw in salads, and in Europe the stalks may be cooked and used in soups or served with other vegetables. Branch celery, cooked or uncooked, is also often partnered with fish. The celery leaves may be used for their flavor or like parsley prepared as a garnish as well as for decoration. In North America and the UK, the roots of branch celery are usually cut off before they arrive at a supermarket. However, branch celery in France will be sold to restaurants with their roots intact. The roots will be used to flavor soups and other dishes.
Branch celery on salehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/130632526@N06/52380856936/
Branch celery on French menus:
Filet de Sole Farci aux Crevettes, Fumet au Vin Blanc, Céleri Branche et Pomme de Terre au Citron - A filet of sole stuffed with shrimp, prepared in a fish stock flavored with white wine. The dish is garnished with branch celery and lemon-flavored potatoes.
La Salade de Quinoa au Crabe, Herbes et Céleri Branche. - A salad of quinoa, crab, herbs and branch celery. Quinoa is a New World import from South America that is neither a cereal nor a grass and contains no gluten. In fact, while I eat quinoa I am not quite sure what quinoa is. Any ideas? The crab offered in this menu listing is France’s most popular crab. You will know that by its name…." the crab". This crab's real French name is the crabe torteau, the edible brown crab in English.
La Niçoise - Salade, Poivron, Concombre, Haricots Verts, Céleri Branche, Tomate, Oeuf, Thon, Anchois, Olive, Radis. – A Salad Nicoise that includes: sweet peppers, cucumber, French green beans, branch celery, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies, olives, and radishes.
This menu listing clearly describes the chef’s ingredients for a Salad Niçoise, and all chefs from Provence have their own recipe for Salad Niçoise. The debates on the correct ingredients have continued for more than 100 years.
Henri Heyraud was a famous Provençal chef, teacher and historian of the the cuisine served in France in the early 20th C. His recipe included both anchovy filets and tuna. Escoffier’s recipe included anchovies only; tuna was not included. However, neither of those famous chefs used branch celery or cucumbers. For more about the history of Salade Niçoise click here,
Branch celery in the languages of France’s neighbors:
(Catalan – api), (Dutch – selderij), (German – sellerie), (Italian – sedano), (Spanish – apio, celerí, apio traditional), (Latin - Apium graveolens var. dulce),
Livèche, Céleri Bâtard, Ache des Montagnes
Lovage or False Celery.
Livèche, Céleri Bâtard, Ache des Montagnes and Céleri de Montagne - Lovage or False Celery is a plant with a strong celery aroma and taste but no true relationship to the celery family. Despite that, it is appreciated in the kitchen for its strong celery taste and aroma. Lovage may also be on the menu by name when its flavor and scent is perfect for a particular dish, and young lovage leaves may also be added, albeit sparingly, to a salad.
Stewed
rabbit with lovage.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Pople
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130632526@N06/52380856936/
Lovage on French menus:
Fraises en Morceaux à l'Ache "céleri de montagne" – Sliced strawberries flavored with lovage.
Le Fera de Neuchâtel en Mignon à la Livèche et Cèpes de Pays – The broad whitefish caught in Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland. The menu description here of “mignon” indicates an attractive serving, and the menu listing shows that the fish is flavored with lovage and wild porcini. cepe, mushrooms.
Saumon Label Rouge Mi-cuit, Mi Fumé par Nos Soins Coulis de Livèche, Jeune Betterave. – Red label Atlantic salmon lightly cooked and smoked in-house. The salmon is served with a coulis, a puree, of fresh lovage and young beetroots.
Lovagehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/allan_harris/34828171805/
Lovage in the languages of France’s neighbors:
(Catalan - api bord, api de muntanya), (Dutch - lavas). (German – liebstöckel), (Italian – levistico), (Spanish – levístico), (Latin - levisticum officinale).
Céleri-rave – Celeriac
Céleri-rave – Celeriac. If, like me, you are not a great fan of branch celery, I really do advise you to try celeriac despite that caveat. Celeriac is an odd-looking root vegetable, but do not let its looks put you off. On the outside, without its leaves, celeriac looks somewhat like a rough, brown beetroot. However, Celeriac has a taste, texture and aroma that is entirely different from branch celery. Celeriac has a light celery taste, and its texture is completely different. The French usually prepare celeriac as a slightly rough puree that you may mistake for hand-mashed potatoes until you taste it or smell it. After my first unintended introduction, I have been hooked. Celeriac mashed on its own or mixed with mashed potatoes and with added butter, milk or cheese, are all flavorsome dishes.
Celeriac is grown only for its root and mild celery taste; the leaves may be used for decoration, but they add very little taste. Celeriac is not just tasty; it is also good for you as it has only 6% starch, compared with a potato that has 15%.
Celeriac on French menus:
Céleri-Rave Rémoulade – Celeriac mashed, and served with sauce rémoulade. A sauce remoulade is a mayonnaise and mustard sauce egg. This dish is very popular.
La Soupe de Céleri Rave et Roquette. - A celeriac soup lightly spiced with the addition of rocket, the herb.
Celeriac
Photograph courtesy of Leimenide
https://www.flickr.com/photos/24350382@N07/50982120178/
Celeriac in the language of France’s neighbors:
(Catalan - api rave), (Dutch - knolselderij), (German – knollenselleri, , knollen-sellerie), (Italian - sedano rapa), ( Spanish - apio nabo, celeriac), (Latin - apium graveolens var. rapaceum).
Céleri Sauvage, Ache des Marais
Marsh Parsley or Smallage.
Céleri Sauvage, Céleri à Couper, Persil des Marais or Ache des Marais – marsh parsley, smallage, slender celery, fir-leaved
celery. This European celery family member originally grew only in the wild. It is the great-grandfather or great-grandmother of both branch celery and celeriac. As may be expected, wild celery is now also domesticated by market gardeners; the taste and aroma of domesticated wild celery are now going into recipes for soups and salads all over Europe.
The original wild celery plant is very leafy. The raw leaves of the plant may be used in salads, and the stalks, when used, must be well cooked and cut, as they can be stringy. The real wild plant has a stronger taste and smell than the cultivated “wild” variety. For that reason, wild celery provides an important side income in the season for gatherers of wild mushrooms and herbs who make a living selling to restaurants. Both the wild and the cultivated wild celery are biennials; that means there is only one crop every two years, and that makes wild celery more expensive. There are two plants called wild celery in North America. The American wild celery grows underwater and is unlikely to be seen in your local supermarket. However, the wild celery that originated in Europe is, of course, grown in and on the menu in North America.
Wild celery on French Menus:
Pâté d'Oie, Émulsion aux Racines de Céleri Sauvage, Pain de Campagne. Duck liver pate prepared with a thick sauce made from the roots of wild celery and served with country bread. For more on pain de campagne, country bread, and other French breads click here.
Escabèche de Queues d'Écrevisses, Vinaigrette de Céleri Sauvage.– Marinated crayfish tails served with wild celery flavored with a vinaigrette sauce. Escabèche is a dish of Peruvian origin and is always served cold. Escabèche is well established in France and will be on many seafood restaurant menus. France has always had its own excellent dishes with marinated fish, and the Peruvian additions of seafood, smoked fish and shellfish with a different flavor have expanded the offerings. Unless otherwise indicated the marinade will be wine vinegar with herbs.
The seeds, the fruits from wild celery, are considered tastier than the seeds from branch celery or celeriac and so wild celery seeds are preferred for making celery salt. French chefs are well aware of the different tastes of wild and cultivated wild celery and what they can add to soup or a sauce; the demand for the wild plant is growing. French market gardeners are the source of the cultivated wild plants.
Wild celery in the languages of France's neighbors:
(Catalan – api boscà), (Dutch -wilde selderij), ( German – echte sellerie, vild sellerie), (Italian - sedano selvatico, sedano commune), (Spanish - apio silvestre). (Latin - apium graveolens var. graveolens).
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