RCP: Khoresht-e Karafs (Persian Celery Stew)

Zari and I made this last night, so I figured I'd share the recipe while it was still fresh in my mind. I compared it to others on the web. It is somewhat different, evidently a family variant. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef, cubed (lamb works, too)
2 bunches of dill
2 bunches of mint
2 bunches of Italian parsley
2 bunches of stalk celery
2 cups of diced onions
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 cup lemon or lime juice
1 tsp of saffron (more if you're into saffron)
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Water

Method:
- Strip the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the dill, mint, and parsley. Clean and set aside.
- Chop the celery stalks into about one inch lengths and sweat them a little in one of the cups of chopped onions with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Brown the meat with the other cup of onions.
- Cover meat with water, bring to boil, and let simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add chopped herbs, celery, citrus juice, chopped garlic, and saffron.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Let simmer for another 20 minutes, but don't let the celery get mushy.
- Re-season if necessary.
- Eat alone or with rice.

I'm thinking a mouth-watering, citrussy Sauvignon Blanc with this. I have a Chateau Potelle from Mendocino which will probably do the trick.

I don't believe I've ever had dill and mint together like this. Might have to give it a try.

[Jenise]

Ooh, does this sound good. And it's good to see celery featured in a dish for a change--Americans tend to use it as seasoning and ignore, or underappreciate, it's ability to stand in the limelight.

Gary, how many people does this recipe feed? In my case there is just two of us, and this looks like it could feed a dozen. how would one go about reducing the ingredients to feed two for two meals?

Gary, how many people does this recipe feed? In my case there is just two of us, and this looks like it could feed a dozen. how would one go about reducing the ingredients to feed two for two meals?

Actually, Bob, it's just enough for me, but I resemble the Happy Buddha suffering from water retention. If you want to cut back, then I'd say half the meat and the celery, but leave the herbs in place as they cook down a lot. That should feed four light eaters.

We had it tonight with saffron rice and ta-digh.

Ooh, does this sound good. And it's good to see celery featured in a dish for a change--Americans tend to use it as seasoning and ignore, or underappreciate, it's ability to stand in the limelight.

Yes, it is really great. As I mention in response to Bob, saffron rice and ta-digh are the perfect accompaniments. The Sauvignon Blanc was also a good choice as a wine pairing.

I like this because for me it is a genuinely foreign flavor which wakes up the taste buds and makes them smile again.

I don't believe I've ever had dill and mint together like this. Might have to give it a try.

Next time you're in the neighborhood ...

Next time you're in the neighborhood ...

Better be careful what you offer.... someone may take you up on it!

[Jenise]

Well, it sounds just wonderful, Gary. In fact, it's a cold rainy day here of the kind that this dish will be just perfect for, so it's on tonight's menu.

Well, it sounds just wonderful, Gary. In fact, it's a cold rainy day here of the kind that this dish will be just perfect for, so it's on tonight's menu.

Cool!! Let me know how it turns out. We're doing beef and chicken kabobs on the grill.

[Jenise]

Gary, our "stew" was fantastic. LOVED it. The saffron-lemon-mint-dill combine to make something very magical. I used a ton of celery (cuz I love it, and I had a three-pack of organic celery that was fairly tired and needed to be all used up or thrown away), cooked the onions only with the celery (my cook's instinct is to build a lot of contrast into my foods, and so I opted not to diffuse the lemon-mint-dill-saffron flavor in the beef), but pretty much otherwise followed your directions. I also made an additional chiffonade of mint that I stirred through the stew just prior to serving. The basmati was prepared plain and then drizzled with a fresh Tuscan EVOO and some shreds of Persian pickled thyme for additional texture and flavor.

I had a 3 lb piece of chuck and used about half. With all the celery, the final dish was about 3-1, beef to celery (which is precisely where I wanted it). Oh, and I only used half a fresh lemon (albeit a large one) because that's all I had. More would have been good, but one half was sufficient to put a lot of lemon flavor into the dish, and some rind added a little more lemon flavor without the additional tartness.

And would ask Zari about pickled thyme? I bought the jar, intrigued, and figured I'd find out more on the 'net about how it's used but alas, found nothing. And it's definitely called thyme, but I have to tell you that it looks nothing like thyme and exactly like summer savory, which I tend to think it is instead. Might be one of those accidents of translation.

Gary, our "stew" was fantastic. LOVED it.

Well, I am tickled that you enjoyed the dish!! It's really satisying being able to share these little pleasures. I will check into the pickled thyme and get back to you. If Zari is not aware, then I will ask the grocer at the Super Teheran where we get a lot of the Iranian specialties.

You made my day! Thanks!

Gary,

A question concerning quantity. How much constitutes a "bunch"? For the celery, I assume one bunch = one collection of stalks that share the same root? But what about the dill, mint, and parsley? Can you give an approximate volume?

-Paul W.

Gary,

A question concerning quantity. How much constitutes a "bunch"? For the celery, I assume one bunch = one collection of stalks that share the same root? But what about the dill, mint, and parsley? Can you give an approximate volume?

-Paul W.

I wondered whether that was enough precision after I had posted. We pretty much just eyeball everything and those bunches come in a given size in most grocery stores we visit, although we foraged for the mint in the neighbor's backyard.

You are correct on the celery. As to the herbs, we usually get them in bunches which at their widest have about the same diameter as a bunch of celery. Cleaned from the stem and roughly chopped, I'd have to guess we had about 4 cups of loosely packed mint and parsley and maybe 2 cups of loosely packed dill. I've never really done this scientifically. I apologize for the lack of precision.

Maybe Jenise can improve on my measurements.

Thanks, Gary, I appreciate the approximate measurements. I've noticed that around here mint in particular seems to be sold in widely varying sizes of packages. Celery, dill, and parsley are more standardized.

This goes on the list of must-make dishes.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

[quote="Gary Barlettano]Maybe Jenise can improve on my measurements.[/quote]

Hey, you're the chef on this one, so no one can improve on what you did--they can only interpret it for themselves. I can offer what I put into mine, though. About 1.5 lbs beef, probably four cups of celery (the inner 2" diameter from three stalks), one big vidalia onion, about one cup of mint leaves plus abut 8 big leaves saved for a final chiffonade to be added just before serving, and 2 heaping tablespoons dried dill. I didn't have any parsley, 2 big cloves garlic, about 2 cups of chicken broth, juice of 2/3rds of one large lemon and some of the zest.

Maybe Jenise can improve on my measurements.

Hey, you're the chef on this one, so no one can improve on what you did--they can only interpret it for themselves.

Just call me LINUX. I'm an open source and always ready for anyone to improve my program.

But what you say is true. I think the existentialist Martin Heidegger said, "I am only a sign along the road. And a roadsign only points. It does not stand at the destination." (It's the reason I give my kids when they ask me why I don't practice what I preach!! )