Osso Buco

Serves 2

Osso Buco is an elegant dish that is surprisingly easy and not very time-consuming to prepare. This recipe is from Italian-American chef Giada De Laurentiis, with a few tweaks I made here and there.

Ingredients

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 whole cloves

2 whole veal shanks of approximately the same size

Salt and pepper

All-purpose flour for dredging

½ cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion, coarsely diced

1 carrot, coarsely diced

1 stalk of celery, cut into ¼” slices

1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste

1 cup of dry white wine

2 cups of chicken stock

3 tablespoons of flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish

1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest, for garnish

1. Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and cloves on a piece of cheesecloth and tie up with kitchen twine. This is the bouquet garni.

2. Prepare the veal shanks: pat them dry with a paper towel (they will brown better if they are dry). Secure the meat to the bone with kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and pepper. Dredge each shank in flour, shaking off the excess.

3. Heat the oil at medium in a large dutch oven until it smokes. Brown the shanks on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). Remove the shanks from the pot and set aside.

4. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and season with salt. Sauté until soft and translucent (about 8 minutes).

5. Add the tomato paste and mix well.

6. Put the shanks back in the pan and add the wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by about ½ (about 5 minutes).

7. Add the chicken stock so that the liquid comes to about ¾ of the way up the shanks. Add the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil.

8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is falling off the bone (about 2 hours). Turn the shanks every 15 minutes during simmering, and add more broth if necessary. The level of liquid should stay at about ¾ of the way up the shank.

Plate with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted broccolini. When shanks are plated, pour the juices from the pot over the shanks and garnish with lemon zest and chopped parsley. Serve with red wine.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Everyone has their own preferred approach to mashed potatoes, so I’m not going to provide a recipe here. We like them a little lumpy so I use a hand masher. I use Yukon Gold potatoes and leave the skins on. And LOTS of butter and garlic and a little salt and pepper.

Roasted Broccolini

I’ve never been a big fan of broccoli, but broccolini is a different story. It’s a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli and has a sweeter yet earthier taste. All parts of it — the stalks, leaves, and florets — are edible.

The preparation I do is simple:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to facilitate cleanup.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3. Place the broccolini in a zip-lock plastic bag with a bit of olive oil and minced garlic. Close the bag and shake to coat the broccolini.

4. Place the broccolini on the pan, taking care so they don’t overlap. If the pan is too crowded, the broccolini will steam rather than roast, and that’s not what you want. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Roast the broccolini in the preheated oven until cooked to your liking. I usually do this for 12 to 15 minutes, until the florets turn dark and parts of the florets get a little crisp.

Serve with a lemon wedge and squeeze a bit on the broccolini at the table.

Jim’s Favorite Christmas Egg Nog

Last year Jim shared his favorite recipe for Christmas Egg Nog here on LNF Weekly. It’s the best egg nog I’ve ever had — he accurately describes it as “cheesecake in a glass”. This can be made well in advance (weeks!).