Skip to content

Side

Celery Victor

Celery hearts simmered in stock, cooled in it, and dressed with oil, vinegar and herbs. A cool, savory salad from San Francisco’s Hotel St. Francis.

⏱ 1 hr 30 min (10 min prep, 20 min cooking, 1 hr waiting) 🍽 Serves 4 · about 4 oz of celery make ahead vegetarianvegangluten freedairy free
πŸ“… Add to my plan

None of the nine major allergens are in the usual versions of these ingredients. Check labels anyway; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 4 servings
  • 1 lb Celery, the pale inner stalks (hearts) of 2 bunches, halved lengthwise
  • 3 cup Vegetable broth, or chicken broth, closer to the original
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • ΒΌ tsp Table salt
  • ΒΌ tsp Ground black pepper, freshly ground (to taste)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Fresh chives, snipped

Make it yourself

Make the vegetable stock yourself β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

πŸ“œ Where it comes from

Victor Hirtzler (1875–1931), chef, the Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco.

The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book (Chicago: The Hotel Monthly Press, 1919), menu for November 4: β€œCelery Victor (Salad)”.

β€œPlace celery in vessel and strain broth over same, and boil until soft. Allow to cool in the broth. When cold press the broth out of the celery gently with the hands, and place on plate. Season with salt, fresh-ground black pepper, chervil, and one-quarter white wine tarragon vinegar to three-quarters of olive oil.”

The original text, quoted as printed; it is in the public domain.

Hirtzler, chef of the Hotel St. Francis in the early 1900s, named the dish after himself. His book is arranged as a year of daily menus, with recipes under each day.

What we changed: Hirtzler made his own stock from a hen and veal bones; we use vegetable or chicken broth. Chervil and tarragon vinegar can be hard to find, so we use parsley, chives and red or white wine vinegar.

Hirtzler cooked decades before Michelin rated any American restaurant (its first U.S. guide came in 2005).

Internet Archive scanProject Gutenberg textMore from the great kitchens β†’

Steps

You’ll need: wide saucepan or skillet with a lid, tongs, small jar or bowl.

  1. Trim the celery hearts so they lie flat, leaving the base on to hold the stalks together. Lay them in the pan and pour in the broth.
  2. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily.
  3. Let the celery cool in the broth, then chill at least 1 hour.
  4. Lift the celery out and press it gently to squeeze out the broth (save the broth for soup). Lay it on plates.
  5. Shake the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together, spoon over the celery, and scatter with the parsley and chives.
Make aheadCook the celery up to 2 days ahead and keep it in its broth in the fridge; dress it just before serving.
β†Ί LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 days.
Original flavor swapSimmer the celery in chicken broth, as Hirtzler did with his hen-and-veal stock.

Good to know

Stock vs. broth Cooking Fats Compared Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Fresh vs. dried herbs

Our own adaptation of a public-domain recipe, in our own words. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.