Osso Bucco

We have just had an incredibly wet week of staying indoors and feeling like we would never see the sun again.
Rugby continues to dominate our lives as the British Lions are still here and won't be here for another 12 years. Brisbane and Melbourne have been full of fun and frivolity in the past weeks. Fans dressed in crazy funny outfits and now its Sydney's turn to host the last game, on Saturday.
One game all, in the test series it promises to be very exciting.
Get a crowd around and watch it on TV if you don't have tickets. An osso bucco is a great dish to make and it can all be done the day before and reheated just before serving.
Beef osso bucco, seems to be more readily available at the moment, rather  than veal.
I definitely prefer veal to beef, I feel it takes on much more flavour and is more tender. The beef needs to be cooked a little longer and never seems as succulent to me, but IF you can't get veal try it with the beef as I had to the other night. Veal is often available frozen, so perhaps defeats the purpose. If you can get it fresh, use veal which is the traditional Milanese recipe. It is really quite delectable.


1-2 kilo veal or beef osso bucco or buy it as 2 pieces each person
2 tins diced tomatoes
3 finely chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
250 mls red wine
600 mls chicken stock or to cover the osso bucco
2 finely chopped carrots
2 sticks finely chopped celery
3 sprigs fresh lemon thyme.
8-10 tablespoons vegetable oil
50 grams plain flour approx depending how much veal you are using
fresh parsley
lemon zest
S&P



Preheat the oven 180C.
Choose a large casserole with a lid and only have the veal on the bottom with one layer on top. If you don't have a casserole large enough use two smaller ones.
Put all of the veal pieces together with the flour in a plastic bag and shake until the veal is coated with the flour.
Heat the oil in a fry pan and brown the veal on both sides. Remove and set aside.
In the casserole dish heat some more oil and soften the carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
Place the veal on top in  a layer.
Heat the wine in the fry pan you cooked the veal and scrape off any of the reside of veal left from the browning.
Add this wine to the casserole with the tomatoes and stock and thyme. The meat should be covered so add more stock if it isn't.
Place int your preheated oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
Traditionally it is served with a risotto milanese and gremolata or gremolada.
This is a mixture of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic and I think it  adds a great contrast to the creamy texture of the sauce, but some do find it a little too sharp.
Up to you, try it I am sure you will love it.