This recipe is inspired by two favorites of mine – the piccolo fritto in the Zuni Café cookbook and the pickled celery from Canal House Cooking Volume 2. It’s a very simple fry that makes a great addition to an antipasto platter. The bright, clean flavors of the quick-pickled celery stand up beautifully to frying. I like the technique of briefly cooking the celery before pickling it; the celery gets tender yet retains a nice crunch, and there's no need to peel it. As for the frying, I've dredged vegetables in various ways, but the Zuni Café method continues to be my favorite for its use of tangy buttermilk and semolina flour for an extra crunchy coating. I like adding cayenne to the flour for a little kick. The pickled celery is delicious served hot from the fryer with coarse salt and a scattering of finely chopped celery leaves, but for a real treat, serve with a dipping sauce of homemade mayo or aioli. Frying up some thinly sliced lemons at the same time is optional but recommended.

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