Andalusian Celery (Apio a la Andaluza)

This fascinating recipe represents a traditional vegan version of the various legume stews found across the Iberian Peninsula.  We adapted our version from one presented in Clifford Wright’s 2001 Mediterranean Vegetables.  While it is not mentioned in this book, we strongly suspect that this dish was created to be served during the Lenten fast.  We’ve changed the following version by adding in a bit of lemon juice and smoked Spanish paprika to brighten and strengthen the flavor of the legume sauce.  We’ve found the best way to enjoy this dish is to serve it over rice with a drizzle of extra-virgin Spanish olive oil. 

4 cups water
3 tablespoons flour, in all
1 large bunch celery, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, in all
1 medium onion, chopped fine
½ teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish Paprika
2 cups cooked garbanzos, pureed
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons liemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Whisk 2 tablespoons flour into the water and bring to a boil in a medium pot. Add celery, reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot and cook until the celery is tender but still firm, about 15-20 minutes.  When done drain celery and reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid. 

Puree cooked garbanzos, garlic and tomatoes. 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Sauté onion until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add in remaining 1 tablespoon flour, mace, cumin and paprika.  Cook, stirring constantly until the flour turns brown, about 1-2 minutes.  Deglaze pan with reserved celery cooking water and mix in pureed garbanzo / tomato mixture, lemon juice, parsley, and mint.  Allow mixture to just come to a boil.  Add in cooked celery.  Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.      

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