Puree of Celery, Celery Knobs and Cardoons

For Celery.—Blanch two pounds of white celery stalks, after washing and scraping them, drain and mince them up. Put four ounces of butter into a saucepan and when warm, add the minced celery and let fry without coloring, then moisten with a quart of stock (No. 189), seasoning with salt and sugar, cook and reduce this to nothing, then pound and press it through a sieve, heat it once more, add to it a pint of bechamel (No. 409), and lastly two ounces of fresh butter.

For the Celery Knobs.—Have two pounds of celery knobs, cut each in four pieces, after peeling them; blanch them in hot water, drain, return them to the saucepan with salt, sugar and two ounces of butter, and reduce till dry, pound and rub through a sieve, add a gill of allemande (No. 407), and just before serving, stir in two ounces of fine butter.

Cardoons.—Mince some cooked cardoons; reduced a bechamel (No. 409) with meat glaze (No. 401), add the cardoons and reduce the whole together for twelve minutes; season with salt and sugar; rub through a fine sieve and return the pulp to the saucepan to heat without boiling and finish at the last moment with a piece of fresh butter.