Stuffed Celery Stalks
Easy, Moderate, Complex
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 stalks celery with leaves attached
- For the Caramelized Onion Spread:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15 ml)
- 2 large onions, sliced in thin rings
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened (225 g)
- A pinch kosher salt
- 1 small spoonful of smoked paprika
- A grinding of cracked black pepper
- For the Blue Cheese and Pistachio Spread:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (225 g)
- 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup) Roquefort (170 g)
- A drizzle of heavy cream as required
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (30 g)
- A pinch of kosher salt
- A grinding of fresh black peppercorns
- A dash of Worchestershire Sauce
- ½ cup pistachio nuts (125 g)
Method
- For the Caramelized Onion Spread:
- Peel and slice 2 large yellow onions in thin-ish rings.
- Drizzle vegetable oil in a wide pan on high heat. When hot add onions and let go on high for about 2 – 3 minutes. Then turn down to low and cook slowly for a long time, stirring only occasionally. When nice and soft and a medium golden brown colour, pull off the heat. (about 30 minutes)
- Season with coarse salt and black pepper and smoked paprika
- Place cream cheese that has been sitting at room temperature for a few hours, so it is maleable, in a bowl. Add caramelized onions and stir with a spatula well, to combine. The heat of the onions will help ‘melt’ the cheese.
- Spread onto your celery sticks
- The leftovers can be saved in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week and used on bread or burgers or almost anything.
- For the Blue Cheese and Pistachio Spread:
- Place softened cream cheese in a bowl, add crumbled blue cheese.
- Using a spatula, work the cheeses in together till you have a nice smooth consistency adding a drizzle of heavy cream if too stiff.
- Season with Worchester sauce, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Place spread into a heavy plastic bag, cut off a little tip and use to pipe onto the celery.
