Delia Smith's Gratin of Celery With Stilton

I saw this recipe in Marks and Spencer's 2009 Christmas leaflet. It looked really interesting and I wanted to put it somewhere for future use. Stilton is a strong cheese like a blue cheese. So, if you can't find Stilton you can probably use blue cheese. She says that it could be either a side dish or a main vegetarian dish over brown rice.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 8  ounces celery ribs
• 1 1⁄2 ounces Stilton cheese
• 2  tablespoons low-fat creme fraiche
• 2  tablespoons  breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon butter, melted
•  celery salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly butter a small gratin dish.
3. Put a pot that can fit a steamer basket on to boil (you can also use an electric steamer for this step later on if you prefer).
4. Start off by trimming the celery stalks and cutting them into 3 to 5 inch lengths so they fit snugly into the gratin dish.
5. Peel them to get rid of any stringy bits.
6. Put them into the steamer basket or in an electric steamer and steam for 7 minutes.
7. Arrange the celery over the base of the gratin dish and add some seasoning.
8. Crumble the Stilton all over the celery, tucking it into any gaps as well.
9. Spoon the creme fraiche over the celery, using a spatula to spread it evenly all over the surface.
10. Toss the breadcrumbs in the melted butter, then sprinkle them evenly over the top and give them a light sprinkling of celery salt.
11. Put the dish in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the top has browned nicely and the celery stalks are tender.