This dish is woven into my food memory at a couple of different places and times. A simple and satisfying dish, my first introduction came after a morning spent with Ma siting at her little kitchen table in the winter sunshine preparing pieces of celery. Carefully removing the strings from each piece of celery, Ma would trim and then add them into a little pile on a clean cloth. All the while she was reminiscing about the flavour and texture of Greek selino, more like a wild herb than the ordinary celery we have here in Australia.
My second introduction came while swimming in the clear waters of a beach near Nafplio on an early Autumn morning. Chatting with a gaggle of swimming cap clad ladies as they paddled around, they talked about what they were going home to cook for lunch. Confessing that I had only recently discovered this dish, they animatedly shared their versions and interpretations – correcting each other with good humour. Whether you make this dish with celery, selino or celeriac, like so many stews it improves with resting for a few hours and needs nothing more than an accompanying good quality sourdough bread.
Pork with celery
Ingredients
- 500 g pork loin cut into large pieces
- 1 wine glass extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 300 g selino celeriac or celery, finely chopped
- 4 new spring onions finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh dill finely chopped
- Water to cover
- Sea salt and white pepper to taste
For the sauce
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 tsp cornflour
Instructions
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Pour the oil in a large pot and put it on medium to high heat. When hot, add the pork pieces and brown. Then remove and set aside on a plate.
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Into the hot oil, add the onion and spring onion. Sautee until they are tender, then add the dill and stir for a minute or two. Return the meat to the pan and then add just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to cook for around 45 minutes.
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After 45 minutes, add the chopped selino (celery or celeriac) and stir and cook for another 30 minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste. If it looks like the broth has reduced to much, add a little boiling water. After the celery has cooked, remove the pot from the heat and make the avgolemono sauce.
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Make the avgolemono sauce: In a seperate bowl, add the lemon juice and combine with the cornflour. In another seperate bowl, beat the egg and then slowly whisk in the the lemon juice mixture until frothy. Next, slowly add the broth from the pot whisking continuously (about 2 tea cups worth). Finally, add the sauce back into the pot covering the pork and celery. Return to a very very low heat and swirl the sauce by shaking the pot from the handles. Do not stir or allow the sauce to boil. The sauce will slowly thicken. Remove from the heat and then serve a slice or two of really good sourdough bread.
Recipe Notes
If you cannot find Greek selino (which is like a herb) substitute with ordinary celery. Peel and trim the stalks, removing the strings and slice into 3 inch pieces. In winter, you can also use celeriac. Peel and chop into bite size pieces.
