Osso Bucco Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3-3.5 hours
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients Needed
- 4x osso bucco bones, around 375g/13ozs each, 1.5kgs/3.3lbs total
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- 40g/1.4ozs plain all purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 100ml/3.5flozs white or red wine Red to make red version, white wine to make white version
- 200g/7ozs onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 130g/4.6ozs carrot, peeled and finely chopped (optional, to make red version)
- 130g/4.6ozs celery, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 cups/1 litre/2.1pints chicken stock
- 50g/1.7ozs tomato paste (optional, to make red version)
- 10cm/4inch sprig rosemary
For Gremolata
- 10g/0.3ozs flat leaf parsley, weight of leaves only
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2-1 garlic clove, finely grated
- Pinch of salt
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 - First season the osso bucco generously with salt and pepper. Then dredge in the flour. Tie kitchen string twice around the outside of the osso bucco - this is to help the meat stay together when cooking.
Step 2 - Heat oil in a large ovenproof pan with lid that can fit the four bones in. Brown the osso bucco on both sides, around 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. Add wine to the pan to deglaze and using a spatula remove any bits stuck on the bottom. Add butter to the pan and saute the onion, carrot (if using) and celery together until softened, around 10 minutes. Then add stock, tomato paste (if using) and rosemary cut into 2 inch pieces. Gently submerge the osso bucco into the liquid and make sure that the bones are in a single layer and mostly covered with liquid. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2.5 - 3hours. Or place in an 140C/280F fan forced oven.
*Note if you are using veal osso bucco then it will take less time, around 1.5-2 hours total as opposed to 2.5-3 hours for beef osso bucco.
Step 3 - While it is cooking, make the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley leaves and mix with the lemon zest, grated garlic and salt.
Step 4 - Remove the ossobucco from the pan gently with a wide turner and a pair of tongs. They will be very delicate. Then drain the sauce and puree in a blender until smooth. Place the osso bucco on top of risotto or polenta and remove the string and then spoon sauce on top. Then top with gremolata.
Personal Note
I hope you've had a really good weekend so far Dear Reader! We've had a great one which has been relaxing with just one catch up with family. I love a relaxing weekend doing very little and sometimes we take the boys for a drive because they love seeing new things.
"Do you have a favourite driving speed?" I asked Mr NQN in the car the other day. We were headed to the country and he was driving.
He thought about it for a moment before answering, "110kms on a highway," he said. I swear its his Finnish rally car driving genes. He loves driving fast. When he asked me my favourite speed I had to answer "60kms in the city". I know it sounds crazy but I prefer city driving because I am used to it. Country driving terrifies me because it's so fast.
I was messaging Monica and decided to ask her her favourite speed. At first she thought it was Mr NQN who had taken my phone to ask me a random question but I convinced her via a voice note that it was me!
So tell me Dear Reader, what is your favourite driving speed and conditions? And do you like ossobuco?