Carla Lalli Music makes Sorry, I Love Celery

05/11/23 • 24 min

1 Listener

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Sorry, I Love Celery

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
2 garlic cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
10 Castelvetrano olives
6 Piparra peppers
1 bunch celery
2 ounces Parmigiano
1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems

In a mortar and pestle or mini chopper, combine the anchovies and garlic with a big pinch of salt and many grinds of black pepper. Pulverize until a paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the anchovies and garlic together on a cutting board, then season with salt and black pepper and use the flat edge of the knife blade to smash the ingredients into a paste.)
Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper until combined. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.
Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash the olives and loosen the pits, then tear the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces (discard pits). Cut peppers in half lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place the olives and peppers in a salad bowl.
Trim the celery at both ends, then separate the bunch into individual stalks; wash and dry. Snap off the light green leaves from innermost stalks and set those aside. Cut the celery into very thin slices on a dramatic angle, then transfer to the bowl with the olives and peppers.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave half the Parmigiano over. Add most of the dressing and toss with your hands to coat.
Add the parsley and reserved celery leaves and toss gently to combine. Shave the other half of the Parm over, drizzle with dressing, and top with a few more grinds of black pepper.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Emma starts listing them at 1:03) before starting the episode.

Sorry, I Love Celery

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

3 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
2 garlic cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
10 Castelvetrano olives
6 Piparra peppers
1 bunch celery
2 ounces Parmigiano
1/2 cup parsley leaves and tender stems

In a mortar and pestle or mini chopper, combine the anchovies and garlic with a big pinch of salt and many grinds of black pepper. Pulverize until a paste forms. (Alternatively, you can finely chop the anchovies and garlic together on a cutting board, then season with salt and black pepper and use the flat edge of the knife blade to smash the ingredients into a paste.)
Scrape into a medium bowl and whisk in lemon juice, olive oil, and Aleppo pepper until combined. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper, if needed.
Use the flat side of a chef’s knife to smash the olives and loosen the pits, then tear the flesh into 2 or 3 pieces (discard pits). Cut peppers in half lengthwise, then halve crosswise. Place the olives and peppers in a salad bowl.
Trim the celery at both ends, then separate the bunch into individual stalks; wash and dry. Snap off the light green leaves from innermost stalks and set those aside. Cut the celery into very thin slices on a dramatic angle, then transfer to the bowl with the olives and peppers.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave half the Parmigiano over. Add most of the dressing and toss with your hands to coat.
Add the parsley and reserved celery leaves and toss gently to combine. Shave the other half of the Parm over, drizzle with dressing, and top with a few more grinds of black pepper.

Previous Episode

Danielle Prewett makes Wild Mushrooms with Sweet Corn Grits

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Danielle starts listing them at 2:08) before starting the episode.

Corn Grits with Wild Mushrooms & Jammy Eggs

Serves 4

4 to 8 large eggs, depending on how hungry you are
2 fresh corn cobs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup diced roasted hatch chiles
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup medium-ground grits or polenta (not instant)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (loosely packed)
1 pound wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, lobster, or oyster, cleaned well and dried
1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of half a lime
1 handful chopped cilantro leaves or chives, to garnish

Soft Boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and carefully ladle in each egg. Set a timer for 6:45 seconds for the perfect, soft-boiled egg. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel each egg. Set aside. This step can be made up to two days in advance.
Make the grits: Use the larger holes on a box grater and grate the corn. Do this inside of a large bowl to catch all of the liquid juices that come out. Set aside.
Heat butter or oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once hot, sauté the yellow onion until soft and lightly golden in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour in 3 cups of water and stir the pan to release any browned bits at the bottom. Stir in the diced hatch chiles, grated corn, sea salt, and grits. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until thickened about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the grits smooth. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the feta cheese and season to taste.
Make the mushrooms: Brush the mushrooms clean or wipe with a slightly damp towel. Do not wash under running water unless the mushrooms are gritty. If they are wet, be sure to let them air dry for a couple hours before cooking.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, spread the mushrooms across the pan. Once they’re down, leave them down and let them properly brown. After a few minutes, give the pan a hard shake to release them from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stir to combine, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. When the garlic is soft and golden, turn off the heat and squeeze half a lime into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Spoon the sweet corn grits into a large bowl and top with the browned mushrooms. Top with a soft-boiled egg (or two!), plus a sprinkle of chives or fresh chopped cilantro.

Next Episode

Dawn Perry makes Weeknight Cassoulet

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Dawn starts listing them at 1:25) before starting the episode.

Weeknight Cassoulet

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 pound total)
1 onion (any color), chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Two (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini or white northern beans (undrained)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup panko, coarse fresh bread crumbs, or cracker crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Prick sausages all over with the tip of a knife. Add the sausages to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.
Add onion, celery, and garlic to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beans and their liquid, the water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Slice sausages and return to the skillet. Stir in the vinegar and remove from heat.
Preheat broiler with rack in the top position. In a small bowl, stir panko, parsley, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the bread crumbs with a little salt and pepper and scatter over beans and sausage. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil (watch carefully! Broilers vary like crazy) until the top is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.