White Celery Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of celery, onion and ham cooked in white stock and veal stock that's thickened with flour and finished with cream. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: White Celery Soup.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of White Celery Soup that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 163.—WHITE CELERY SOUP.
Slice up fine six heads of celery, four onions, and four ounces of raw ham; put these in a stewpan with four ounces of butter and a pint of white stock, or water; simmer very gently over a slow fire until the celery becomes quite soft; then add half a pound of flour, mix together, moisten with a quart of good veal stock, stir the soup over the fire for twenty minutes; rub the purée through a tammy into a dish, and having poured it into a soup-pot, make it hot; add half a pint of cream, and serve with fried crusts, separately.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
6 heads of celery, finely sliced
4 onions, finely sliced
120g raw ham, finely diced
120g butter
600ml white stock
225g plain flour
1l good quality veal stock
300ml cream
Method:
Combine the Jerusalem artichokes, onions and celery in a pan with the butter and white veal stock. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, black pepper and sugar then bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the Jerusalem artichokes are very tender.
Take off the heat, allow to cool slightly then purée the mixture in a blender. Press through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any remaining large pieces then transfer the purée into a pan. Stir in the cream and allow the soup to heat through (but do not boil).
