Veal Osso Buco
Saffron Risotto
Peas & Snow Pea Shoots
When my dear friend of many years, Father Adam, comes to town we like to cook! Nothing we make ever takes less than three hours. It's always an adventure. Last time we made Mario Batali's Osso Buco with Toasted Pine Nut Gremolata. I had purchased several fresh veal shanks then, and put the extras in the freezer. It was time to defrost them and give Suzanne Goin's recipe a try!
Osso Buco
Veal shanks were rubbed with garlic, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary then refrigerated over night. The next day they were brought to room temperature, seasoned and browned on all sides in olive oil.
The browned shanks are removed from the pan. Diced onion, carrot, celery, sage and garlic are added to the same pan, and cooked over medium heat until just starting to caramelize. Add 1/2 c. chopped canned tomatoes then 1 c. dry vermouth. Raise the heat and reduce by half.
Add shanks back to the pan with enough hot veal stock to almost cover the meat. Add parsley sprigs, cover, braise at 325° for about 3 hours.
Father Adam and I put the Le Creuset into the oven and went for a walk at Royal Palms State Beach.
Three hours later!
The meat was removed to a baking sheet. The sauce was strained, then we used a gravy separator to remove the fat. We reheated the sauce in a clean saucepan and adjusted the seasoning. It was so flavorful!
Saffron Risotto
Saffron threads were toasted in a small pan, then ground in a mortar. We mixed the saffron with olive oil and added diced white onion, thyme, crushed chile de arbol, salt and pepper. Cooked until the onion was soft.
Add arborio rice and stir to coat the grains.
Add 1/4 c. dry white wine, then when that has evaporated, add hot chicken stock gradually while stirring until the rice has absorbed the stock. When the rice is al dente, season with salt and pepper.
The shanks were removed to a baking sheet and broiled for a few minutes to get a nice brown crust.
Peas & Snow Pea Shoots
Frozen peas were defrosted and cooked in olive oil with minced shallot, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the pea shoots and heat until the leaves are softened and tender.
Beautiful Colors!
Dau Miu (snow pea shoots) are young pea shoots that are delicate and crispy with a flavor that's a cross between peas and spinach with a hint of watercress.
Falling Off the Bone!
This terrific recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin. You can find Chef Goin's exact recipe here.
And be sure to check out Father Adam's unique blog, Monastery Daily Photo: Views From and Within A Roman Catholic Monastery in Northern California.
