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1
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
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2
Make the pastry in a large bowl by tossing the diced butter in the flour, sage, Parmesan and a pinch of salt.
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3
Add just enough ice-cold water, about 6-8 tablespoons, to bring it together into a firm dough that is not too sticky.
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4
There should be no loose pieces of fat or flour left in the bowl.
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5
Turn onto a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle of about 1 cm thick.
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6
Fold the top third into towards you into the middle, and the bottom third up over it - just like folding a letter.
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7
Turn the pastry by 90, roll out to a rectangle again and repeat the folding.
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8
Repeat this turning, rolling and folding process 4 or 5 times, keeping the board and rolling pin lightly floured.
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9
Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for at least an hour before using.
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10
Whilst the pastry is chilling, make the filling.
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11
Cut each celery bunch into half through the root, then each half into quarters leaving you with 8 pieces.
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12
Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan that can go in the oven.
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13
Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar and celery and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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14
Cover the mix loosely with a piece of damp greaseproof paper and gently sweat for 15-20 minutes until the celery is soft & tender when pierced with the point of a knife.
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15
Remove the greaseproof paper, turn up the heat and fry for a further 5 minutes until lightly caramelized.
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16
Turn off the heat and spread the celery out evenly in a single layer over the base of the pan.
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17
Allow to cool a little.
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18
On a floured work surface roll out the pastry into a circle just a little larger than the frying pan.
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19
Carefully lift the pastry and lay over the celery, tucking the edges under.
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20
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up.
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21
Remove from the oven and carefully turn out onto a baking sheet.
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22
Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and return to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes until the parmesan has browned and the pastry is cooked through.
