Sedano al parmigiano

Italian celery and Parmesan salad with lemon and walnuts: a refined antipasto of the Italian kitchen

Origin: Italy

From the journey of Celery.

The combination of raw celery with Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of those Italian preparations so simple that it barely requires a recipe (and yet it is one of the most quietly brilliant flavour pairings in the Italian antipasto tradition. Raw celery: crisp, faintly bitter, fresh. Parmigiano: crystalline, salty, nutty, umami. The two together, dressed with olive oil and lemon, produce a combination greater than either alone. The dish belongs to the tradition of the Italian pinzimonio) raw vegetables eaten with good oil (but elevated with shaved cheese and nuts into something suitable for the antipasto table. It emerged from the northern Italian kitchen, particularly Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, where Parmigiano-Reggiano is produced and where the cooking is defined by quality ingredients handled with simplicity. Italian celery cultivation was developed in the 17th century, and within a generation of the vegetable's domestication, these raw celery preparations had established themselves in the Italian culinary repertoire. The dish is now a classic of the Italian trattoria) served as an antipasto before pastas and risottos, its clean crunch providing a perfect counterpoint to the richness that follows.

Ingredients

Celery

6 stalks celery (inner pale stalks preferred), plus their inner leaves

Cheese

80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved into thin slices with a vegetable peeler

Nut

50 g walnuts, roughly broken

Dressing

3 tbsp best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Seasoning

0.5 tsp fine sea salt
0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Trim the celery stalks. Use the inner, pale, more tender stalks: not the outer green ones, which are too fibrous for eating raw. Cut at a sharp angle into thin slices (about 4–5mm). Keep any pale inner celery leaves whole.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
Toss the celery slices in the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and acid: the dressing should be bright and direct, not timid.
Arrange the dressed celery on a flat serving plate. Scatter the Parmesan shavings over the top, then the broken walnuts, and finally the celery leaves.
Serve immediately. This salad does not hold: the celery begins to soften once dressed.

Notes

The quality of the Parmigiano-Reggiano matters greatly here, use a genuinely aged piece, at least 24 months, which will have the crystalline, granular texture and deep flavour that the dish requires. A younger Parmigiano will be too mild. The walnuts can be substituted with toasted pine nuts for a more delicate texture, or almonds for a firmer crunch. For a more luxurious version (Veneto style), add thin slices of pear alongside the celery, the sweetness of the pear with the bitterness of the celery, the nuttiness of the Parmesan, and the crunch of walnut is extraordinary.

The Gastrographer

Name: Sedano al parmigiano
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 6 stalks celery (inner pale stalks preferred), plus their inner leaves; 80 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved into thin slices with a vegetable peeler; 50 g walnuts, roughly broken; 3 tbsp best-quality extra-virgin olive oil; 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control