Celery finds sole mate in combo
Celery: not just a vehicle for peanut butter. This crunchy vegetable doesn’t get much love because let’s face it, it’s mostly water, and its bitter taste hasn’t won over many kids during snack time. Still, the vegetable is high in vitamin Kand chances are that you have a few stalks left over from making Caesars this summer, and you’re wondering what else you can do with them.
While celery is commonly eaten raw with dip (or diced in a tuna salad), after a few days in the fridge it can start to get limp.
The solution: sauté it. Cooking celery brings out its natural sweetness, which overshadows its bitter taste and develops a tender texture that still has a bit of crunch. There’s a reason why celery is a vital component to mirepoix, the holy trinity of sautéed celery, onions and carrots used as a flavour base for many traditional French dishes.
For this dish, we’re taking inspiration from Chinese cooking with the quick and easy stir-fry as a way to showcase the sweetness of sautéed celery, as well as use up a few stalks that are starting to lose their crunch. The sauce is something I learned from my mom: whenever she’s pressed for time and needs a quick sauce to add to meats and vegetables she’ll grab oyster sauce, water it down, and well, that’s pretty much it. In this version I replaced the water with a more flavourful broth and added a spoon of chili paste known commonly as sambal oelek (look for the rooster logo on the jar in the Asian aisle at supermarkets).
Celery and Sole Chow Mein
Star Tested
2oz (60g) dried chow mein noodles
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola or vegetable oil
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 finely minced garlic clove
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce
1/2 tsp (2 mL) sambal oelek, plus more to taste
3 tbsp (45 mL) no salt-added
chicken or vegetable broth
6oz to 7oz (170g to 200g) boneless, skinless sole fillet, sliced into chunks
In a small pot of boiling water, cook noodles until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tsp (10 mL) oil. Add celery and pepper. Sauté until tender but still crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add oyster sauce, sambal oelek and chicken broth. Stir and continue to cook until liquid thickens and reduces by half, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add cooked noodles to pan and stir to coat with sauce, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving plate or bowl.
In same pan, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil. Sear fish pieces, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, until fully cooked and opaque. Add to cooked noodles and vegetables.
Serve immediately. Add more sambal oelek for additional heat.
Makes one serving.