Ingredients

• 1 head celery
• 6 shallots
• peeled (and split if the bulbs are dividing)
• 1 or 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 4 sage leaves
• 3 slices pancetta or smoked steaky bacon
• 3 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
• salt and freshly milled black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 9.
• Begin by removing the tough outer layers of the celery
• then pare the outside of the root off
• but leave it attached. Now cut across the celery about 9cm/3½in from the base. Stand the lower half upright and cut vertically through the centre. Then cut each half into 4 to make 8 pieces
• keeping them attached to the root. Save a couple of nice leaves (preferably attached to a small stem) and trim the top pieces of celery to a similar length to the base
• cutting off any really tough and stringy edges. Now wash all the pieces and dry them on kitchen paper.
• Next heat one tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan
• then lightly brown the celery and shallots
• keeping them on the move so they brown evenly. Now transfer them to a plate. Increase the heat under the pan
• add the pancetta and fry the slices until they're really crisp - it will take 2-3 minutes and you'll need to keep turning them.
• Next lay the silicone paper over the baking tray and lightly grease a circle of 23cm/9in on it. Arrange the celery in an attractive shape on the paper
• putting the prettiest pieces on the top
• add the shallots
• thyme
• rosemary and sage leaves in among it
• and season with salt and pepper.
• Now combine the remaining olive oil and wine vinegar
• sprinkle that over the vegetables
• followed by the pancetta crumbled into pieces with your hands. Next fold the silicone paper over and seal
• making pleats
• all round - you may find a couple of metal (not plastic) paper clips useful here
• as it's essential to keep the steam trapped inside. Place the parcel in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.
• After that carefully unwrap the paper - you may need scissors - and serve the vegetables with the juices spooned over.