fall fabulousness & ossobuco recipe.

hmmm...where to start.  i guess with my mom, she's my best friend, my most astute critic and biggest fan.  i am forever thankful for her unconditional love and support. she goes by many names, char, char-o, the mo-ship, etc.  

So i figured my first blog should be something fall inspired as it's october, the leaves on the vineyard are changing from yellow to red and i can't stop making soups, chili, slow braised savory goodness...

  

i LOVE fall...love love love it.  and living coastally in Sonoma county i get the very best that fall has to offer.  Wonderfully chilly foggy mornings spent collecting eggs from my coop, gathering the last tomatoes from the gardens and delighting in being able to wear boot and sweaters again.  wine stomps, harvest fairs, and apple picking...oh my! 

my mo`ship usually calls me to get ideas about what to cook for her monthly girls' dinner, and we bounce ideas around and together usually come up with something fabulous. today's decision settled on ossobuco, a particular favorite of mine, and not nearly as hard as you'd think. you'll be SURE to wow your next dinner party. enjoy.

ossobuco (pronounced [ˌɔsːoˈbuːko]) is a Milanese specialty, veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth.  i don't care to buy or eat veal, and so thusly make mine with lamb, beef is nice too. 

ossobuco or osso buco is Italian for "bone with a hole" (osso bone, buco hole), a reference to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut shank.

it is often garnished with gremolata (chopped herbs with lemon and parsley) and traditionally served with risotto alla milanese.  here's the thing, i was always taught that risotto milanese had saffron in it which makes it yellow or gold...which makes sense to me as milan was historically the "city of gold...HOWEVER, i don't care much for saffron and make risotto just the traditional preparation.  risotto is SO rich though, i personally like mashed potatoes or polenta with ossobuco...keeps the dish more balanced, in my humble opinion. 

there are two types of ossobuco: a modern version that has tomatoes and the original version which does not. the older version, ossobuco in bianco, is flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf and gremolata. yhe modern and more popular recipe includes tomatoes, carrots, celery and onions. gremolata is optional."   
Ingredients:

8 to 10 large 2 1/2-inch-thick lamb shanks, each patted dry and tied securely with kitchen string to keep the meat attached to the bone
all-purpose flour for dredging the lamb shanks
7 tablespoons unsalted butter plus additional if necessary
3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional if necessary
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 to 4 cups chicken broth or beef broth
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato or 1 1/2 cups drained canned plum tomatoes, chopped
a cheesecloth bag containing 6 fresh parsley sprigs, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the gremolata
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced garlic



preparation

season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess. in a heavy skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, in the fat brown the lamb shanks in batches, adding some of the additional butter and oil as necessary and transferring the shanks as they are browned to a platter. add the wine to the skillet, boil the mixture, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the skillet, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, and reserve the wine mixture in a small bowl.

now at this point you can use one of two methods: for the lazier cook (like me) pop the rest of the ingredients into a crock pot and walk away for the rest of the day.  OR in a flameproof casserole just large enough to hold the shanks in one layer cook the onion, the carrots, the celery, and the garlic in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and add the shanks with any juices that have accumulated on the platter, the reserved wine mixture, and enough of the broth to almost cover the shanks. Spread the tomatoes over the shanks, add the cheesecloth bag, the salt, and pepper to taste, and bring the liquid to a simmer over moderately high heat. Braise the mixture, covered, in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender. Transfer the shanks with a slotted spoon to an ovenproof serving dish, discard the strings, and keep the shanks warm. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids, and skim the fat. Boil the juices for 15 minutes, or until they are reduced to about 3 cups, baste the shanks with some of the reduced juices, and bake them, basting them 3 or 4 times with some of the remaining juices, for 10 minutes more, or until they are glazed.

Make the gremolata while the lamb is baking:

In a bowl stir together the parsley, the zest, and the garlic.

Sprinkle the lamb shanks with the gremolata, pour some of the juices around them, and serve the remaining juices separately.

holy fall goodness.  even people who don't think they are fans of lamb fall down drooling after one bite of this treat.  ENJOY!  

hanny.