Ingredients
Osso buco
- 4 osso buco pieces
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- Plain flour for coating the osso buco
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 leak, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup of red wine
- 2 cups of beef stock
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 bayleaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Risotto Milanese
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 5 cups of beef or chicken stock
-
1 tsp of saffron
- 1 1⁄2 cups arborio rice
-
1⁄2 cup dry white wine (omit if required)
-
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius. Coat each piece of osso buco in a generous coating of salt, pepper, and flour. Heat a cast iron pot to high heat and add olive oil. Brown off each piece of osso buco, one by one until they have a good dark golden crust on each. Browning is a very important step, as it adds depth of flavour, so don’t rush this part. Once each piece is browned, set aside.
- In the same pot add the onion, leek, carrot and celery. You should not need to add any extra oil as the osso buco will let out some fat. Sauté the vegetables until they have softened, before adding the tomato paste. Cook this off for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. To deglaze the pan, add the red wine, an ensure you use a wooden spoon to scrape all of the browned goodness off the bottom of the pan – as this adds flavour. Cook the wine off for 5-6 minutes, before adding the beef stock and the bayleaves. Season as required. Ensure the osso buco pieces are covered in the liquid and top up with more stock or water if required. Pop a lid on the pot, and place it in the oven for 2.5 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
- For the risotto, it is best to start this around 30 minutes before your meat is ready to eat, as it is best eaten as fresh as possible. Add the butter and a small amount of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. The olive oil will ensure the butter does not burn. To this, add your chopped onion and sauté until translucent. After 5 minutes, add your chopped garlic, ensuring it does not burn. Soften the garlic for 1-2 minutes. To this, add in the rice and stir to coat with the butter and the onion & garlic. Sauté this for 3-4 minutes until the rice is toasty. If using wine, add this now and allow it to completely absorb.
- In a separate saucepan, add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Add the saffron to the stock and let it bloom to reveal a golden colour. Add the stock to the rice, ladle by ladle, allowing each spoon to absorb completely before adding the next, and stirring constantly throughout. The risotto is ready to eat when the rice is al dente but do ensure that it is not too dry, and has enough smooth silky sauce. Add extra stock if required. Add the cheese to the risotto and serve immediately with the osso buco, vegetables and rich sauce on top.
Recipe by Alexandra Berto
