Celery is at its best in the crisp, cold days of winter when there is also a good selection of apples available.
ingredients
serves: 4
1 head celery
3 red dessert apples
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves
1 large clove garlic
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 - 6 fl ounce dry white wine
2 tablespoons capers, optional
Salt and black pepper
method
1. Trim off the root end of the celery then slice the stalks into thin semicircles, cutting across the entire head. Rinse and set aside.
2. Rinse and core the apples but do not peel them. Roughly chop them into cubes and set aside.
3. Generously cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, and heat it until it shows a haze. Rinse the sage leaves, then snip them into the pan. Peel the garlic and crush it in. Allow the sage and garlic to sizzle for a few seconds, then quickly add the celery, apples and bay leaf and stir.
4. After 1 minute, pour in enough white wine to cover the mixture. Continue cooking over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the celery is cooked but still crunchy. If the mixture dries out before the celery is cooked, add a little more wine.
5. When the celery is cooked, stir in the capers, if using, and heat them through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaf from the pan and serve.
