Osso Bucco
INGREDIENTS:
50g butter
3 medium carrots diced finely
2 large brown onions diced finely
3 celery stalks diced finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
8-10 pieces of osso bucco (approx 1½ kg)
plain flour
2 tbs olive oil
2 x 410g tins diced tomatoes
2 cups beef stock (save ¼ for adjusting)
½ cup red wine
1 tbs fresh basil chopped finely
1 tbs fresh thyme chopped finely
2 x 3cm strips lemon rind
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbs grated lemon rind
“THE RICH SAUCE, LEMON AND PARSLEY BRING THIS STUNNING WINTER DISH TO LIFE”
A pretty big cook, but fairly straight forward.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, and cook the onion, carrot, celery and one of the garlic cloves until the onion is just translucent and carrots are just starting to soften.
Grease a large ovenproof casserole dish that has a lid with butter. Remove the vegetables from the heat, and transfer to the casserole. Spread out across the bottom of the dish to form an even layer.
Coat the Osso Bucco in flour. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and cook the veal in batches until well browned on both sides. Carefully pack on top of the vegetables in the casserole dish, keeping as flat as possible, and fill any gaps with smaller pieces or ones that you’ve trimmed up for filling gaps. Leave at least 3cm space at the top.
CAN BE SERVED BY ITSELF WITH CRUSTY BREAD ON THE SIDE TO MOP UP THE SAUCE. OR ALSO GOES WELL WITH MASHED POTATO OR EVEN A LITTLE PASTA.
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS PLENTY OF THE VEGETABLES AND SAUCE WITH THEIR MEAT, WHICH SHOULD BE 'FALLING OFF THE BONE' TENDER.
In the saucepan used for the vegetables, add the tomatoes, wine, stock, basil, thyme and the strips of lemon rind. Bring to the boil, and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened.
Pour the sauce over the veal evenly. Cover the casserole; bake in a moderate oven for about one and a half hours, or until the veal is very tender.
About half way through the cooking take the casserole out and just gently move the meat around with a wooden spoon, and bring some of the vegies off the bottom. Be careful to keep the meat together at this point.
Combine the last garlic clove with the parsley and grated lemon rind as a garnish for serving.
Will serve four easily as a main.