osso bucco with gremolata
Recipe & Food Styling Marisa Curatolo, Photography Cory Aronec
If you haven't had Osso bucco (meaning bone with a hole) you really must! It is an Italian speciality of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth.
Here, we created the modern and more popular version with tomatoes, carrots, onions and gremolata. The reason for the bone is the marrow, which creates an exceptionally delicious flavour to the entire dish. Incredible.
Ingredients
4 (1 pound) bone in veal or beef shanks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
¾ cup good-quality chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 - 6 potatoes, peeled
Gremolata
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Grated zest of one lemon
Preparation
For gremolata, in a small bowl combine parsley, garlic, and lemon zest; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Season veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge with flour; shake off excess. In a large ovenproof Dutch oven, heat half the olive oil over high heat; cook shanks in batches, until all pieces are well browned, adding more oil if needed. This step is important for developing flavour. Transfer shanks to a large plate.
Reduce heat to medium low. Add onion, garlic, and carrots; cook for 4 minutes, or until softened. Add chicken stock, wine, and tomatoes; scrape up brown bits on bottom of pan. Return shanks and any accumulated juices to pan; add bay leaf and thyme. Bring liquid to a boil; cover and transfer to preheated oven. Simmer for 2 to 2½ hours until meat is very tender, turning shanks over once. Add potatoes in the last 1 hour. Remove meat and potatoes from oven, transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Set Dutch oven with sauce over burner and cook over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Adjust seasonings. Serve with sauce and sprinkled with gremolata. Serves 4.
Note: For slow cooker or Instant Pot, please use cooking times according to manufacturers directions for each individual pot.