LAMB OSSO BUCO MILANESE

Traditionally, this dish is made with veal, but right now, we have some beautiful lamb shanks on hand. So, we've decided to switch things up a bit. And lamb loves slow cooking, the result is meat so tender it practically falls off the bone, while the marrow enriches the sauce, pure bliss.

Our Milanese-style lamb osso buco is simmered with white wine and our free range chicken stock, served with saffron risotto and topped with a fresh, lively gremolata. Though the recipe has a few components, the results are worth every effort.

SERVES 4

Prep time 20 mins

Cook 3 hours 45 minutes (plus resting) 

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg of lamb osso buco
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Plain (all-purpose) flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dusting
• Olive oil, for cooking
• 30g butter, chopped
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3-4 anchovies
• 200ml dry white wine
• 100ml vermouth
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock
• 1 fresh bay leaf, 1 rosemary sprig and 1 thyme sprig

Saffron Risotto

• Olive oil, for cooking
• 30g butter, chopped
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 200g carnaroli (risotto rice)
• 100ml dry white wine or vermouth
• 1 tablespoon warm water 
• 1 litre (4 cups) hot chicken stock
• 80g (1 cup) finely grated parmesan cheese

Gremolata

• 1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Dust the osso buco in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.

2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large enamelled cast-iron casserole on the stovetop over medium–high heat and add the osso buco to the casserole. Fry, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes to brown well all over: the deeper the browning, the better the flavour of the finished dish, so take your time to do this well. Transfer the meat to a plate.

3. Add the butter to the casserole and when it foams, add the onion, celery and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender and translucent. Stir in the anchovies until they melt and dissolve into the vegetables, then deglaze the casserole with the wine and vermouth and simmer to reduce by half.

4. Add the stock, herbs and osso buco, season and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Make a cartouche by cutting out a round of baking paper to fit the diameter of the casserole, crumple it up, then wet it under cold running water. Lay it directly on the surface of the mixture, pressing to get rid of any air bubbles. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 3-3½ hours until the meat is almost falling from the bone. Set aside for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, about half an hour before the osso buco is ready, start making the saffron risotto. Heat a splash of oil and the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic until fragrant.

6. Add the rice, stir for a minute or two to lightly toast and until the edges of the rice turn translucent. Add the wine and stir stir to combine. Gradually add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and adding more stock as it is absorbed for 25-30 minutes until the rice is creamy and just tender. Add the parmesan, stir to combine, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

7. To make the gremolata, combine the parsley, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and the garlic in a bowl. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to make a drizzling consistency and season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve osso buco on saffron risotto, drizzled with gremolata.

This recipe comes straight from the pages of "MEAT: The Ultimate Companion" by Anthony Puharich & Libby Travers. If you crave more recipes like this one, you can grab a copy of the book here!