Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds of celery (about 1 1/2 heads)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated grana padano or parmigiano reggiano
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
Instructions for Celery Gratin
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Trim the celery, and cut the stalks into 2–inch lengths. Blanch in the boiling water until the celery is almost tender but not floppy, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the -celery–cooking water. In a bowl, mix panko and Grana Padano together.
- Grease a 9–by–13–inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Layer half of the celery, all facing one direction, and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Then dot with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter, and pour over it the reserved -celery–cooking water. Layer the remaining celery, scatter the diced tomatoes on top, and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle with the cheese crumbs, and dot with the remaining butter. Bake until the celery is tender and the crumbs are crisp and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- Enjoy Lidia’s Celery Gratin!
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