butter-braised celery/celeris braises au beurre

If you have never tried butter-braised celery to accompany so many warm winter dishes, from roasted chicken with tarragon sauce, to a simple mushroom omelet, poached sausages or salmon, or even the warm pasta dish, you're in for a treat. This ordinary vegetable reaches new highs with this meltingly soft and tender treatment of blanching and braising with herbs: here, I've used tarragon, but you can subsitute with fresh rosemary, if you're one of those people who loathe tarragon. Please allow a little over half an hour of your time - trust me, it's worth it!

For each two cups of sliced celery to serve two:

Wash and slice the celery diagonally into 2 inch slices. Bring a pot of water to a boil , then blanch the celery for five minutes. Drain and place the celery in a heavy bottomed saucepan, adding for each 2 cups celery:

2 T. unsalted butter

a pinch of kosher salt

1/2 t. dried tarragon

(or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary if you prefer)

a little freshly ground pepper

3 T. chicken or beef stock, or dry vermouth

Turn heat to the lowest degree ( I have an electric stove, so the setting was 1) and braise for 25-35 minutes, covered, checking the celery every once in a while to make sure it's braising, and not burning.

Turn braised celery out into a warmed serving dish and enjoy!