MRS BEETON was an enthusiast, offering recipes for celery fried, stewed, with macaroni, with cream, in a white sauce, with chestnuts as a salad and as a constituent in clear mock-turtle soup (the basis of which was half a calf’s head). Celery endures. Oliver, Fearnley-Whittingstall, Stein, Slater, Blumenthal, the Hairy Bikers: popular chefs without exception proclaim its virtue uncooked, as the central feature of a dish and as a constituent. Its oil and its salt enliven sundry recipes— where would a Bloody Mary be without it? Celery figures strongly in French soups and sauces and, together with onions and bell peppers, is one of the holy trinity of Creole and Cajun cuisine.
Dieticians quote a low glycemic index, with vitamins A, B2, B6, C and K, together with potassium, manganese, pantothenic acid, a low sodium and calorie count, a strong antioxidant presence, benefits against cholesterol, digestive inflammation, rheumatism, high blood pressure and blood sugar, and plenty of dietary fibre, despite celery being 95% water. Celery juice has quite recently joined the faddish pantheon of health drinks, claims embracing the possible prevention of cancer, heart disease and degenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, and even the boosting of male fertility. In addition, its diuretic and depurative qualities are recommended as part of a weight-loss regime.
What of that keen gastronomic enjoyment? When it comes to the crunch, what about that spicy flavour, that savoury aroma, the unique tang that celery brings to every dish it graces? Biochemistry informs us that these virtues are mainly the combined result of butylphthalide and sedanolide, a splendid thing to know, but, long before the lab technicians got to work, our forebears knew a good thing when they took a succulent bite of the individual stalk (to be pedantic, the stalk is a petiole, a whole bunch is a stick).
Denne historien er fra January 13, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 13, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
