Crystalized Celery Chips

I was having a discussion about this concept with one of my key team members on how to garnish an hor d'oeuvre with crystallized celery stalks and I couldn't find the picture of when I actually made celery stalk chips. The celery stalks were sliced on a very thin bias and dipped into a simple syrup (50% sugar and 50% water cooked together until the sugar is melted). Each piece of celery were layered out onto a sheet pan and dried in the oven overnight with the temperature at approximately 140 degrees. The next morning resulted in perfectly crisp and crunchy celery stalk chips that gave a unique presentation and a true "WOW" factor to the final dish. This technique works for many different vegetables such as lengthwise peeled stalks of asparagus, root vegetables consisting of carrots or parsnips, and colorful summer squash cut into thin ribbons. I will be using this celery garnish as a final component to a upcoming passed shot glass of creamy celery root bisque on Tuesday evening for a signature reception.