All recipe posts are written by our co-founder Jennifer J. Yoo unless otherwise noted.
Growing up I was never thrilled about celery. It seems to only appear as sad side kick to buffalo wings or as a vessel to the more interesting dip. That is until my husband John made fried egg over cooked celeries for me for breakfast one morning. When cooked, celery fully soaks up the flavor of the spice or sauce being used making it a perfect choice even for the simplest of sauces.
The 3 year aged soy sauce is perfect for this dish. It is so funky that it may remind you of fish sauce (no fish was used to make the soy sauce, it is in fact vegan!) while also replacing salt. The perilla seeds add an extra crunch to this dish and delivers the subtle nutty flavor that gets pronounced by the addition of sesame oil. That is all you need to make this new favorite of mine and you will find that it is perfect for a midday light lunch, breakfast when paired with eggs, or even as a side dish to roasted chicken or fish.
TIME 10 minutes
SERVES 1 or 2 as a side dish or appetizer
INGREDIENTS
- 10-12 celery ribs, roughly chopped to about 2-3" pieces*
- 1 tablespoon perilla seeds
- 1 tablespoon 3 year aged soy sauce**
- 1/4 teaspoon infrared roasted sesame oil
- Handful of cilantro leaves (optional)
- White pepper, to be finished with (optional)
**You can also use Kisoondo's Ganjang we carry or use your own store bought soy sauce. I love Artisan Fermentary's 3 year aged soy sauce for its extra fish sauce like funkiness so if you are using a different soy sauce, I recommend adding a 1/4 teaspoon of fish sauce.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Coat the wok with a little bit of canola, grape seed or avocado oil on medium heat. Add the chopped celeries.
- Add soy sauce and perilla seeds after about 3 minutes. Cook for another couple of minutes while tossing to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Turn off the fire when celery is cooked through but still with a crunch.
- Add sesame oil and toss again.
- Plate the celeries. Top it with cilantro leaves and white pepper powder, both optional, before serving.
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