Prato-style Stuffed Celery Recipe
The origins of Prato-style stuffed celery remain shrouded in a history that is difficult to reconstruct with certainty. What is certain, however, is the deep connection between this recipe, the local area and the traditions of the city.
Celery is a vegetable that requires care and attention. After sowing, it is transplanted and unearthed so that the ribs can grow tender and pale. Water is also essential. In Prato, ever since the Middle Ages, the city’s vegetable gardens have relied on water from the Bisenzio River, distributed through a system of irrigation channels.
In a region where this vegetable was so prized and cultivated with such skill, it’s easy to imagine how local cuisine developed to make the most of it.
And so the recipe for Prato-style stuffed celery was developed, made by filling the ribs with a flavorful mixture to create a simple dish seasoned with a retelling of the city’s history.
Ingredients
- 4 celery ribs
- 300 g minced meat
- 150 g Prato mortadella
- 5 eggs (2 for the filling)
- Flour type 00
- Chopped parsley
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
- ½ clove minced garlic
- Olive oil
- 300–400 g of ragout
- 3 tbsp flour
Method
- Wash the celery and blanch in boiling salted water
- Drain thoroughly and place on a surface to cool, covering with a cloth to let rest
- Mix together the minced meat, diced mortadella, parsley, Parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic
- Fill the celery ribs with the mixture then unite the 2 ribs to form a type of cylinder, tied together with kitchen twine
- Dust the cylinders with flour then dip in the beaten eggs
- Fry in plenty of olive oil then, once done, place the celery on paper towels
- Heat the ragout in a skillet then once brought to the boil, gently add the fried celery
- Cover and let simmer
This dish pairs perfectly with Carmignano red wine.
