Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese and Roasted Red Pepper Gratin

Finally I have a little down-time after Christmas so I have the chance to cook a little. Today it will be Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese and Roasted Roasted Red Pepper Gratin. Here is the recipe...

Osso Buco
Serves: 4
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 pieces veal shank with bone
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups veal stock
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Gremolata:
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess. In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.
Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and tomato paste and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove the cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
For gremolata: combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Strew the gremolata over the osso buco before serving.

Onions, carrots, celery and garlic are ready to go...

Veal shanks have just been browned...

Browning the vegetables...













and in the end...

Risotto Milanese
1/3 cup minced shallots
8 cups good quality chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Carnaroli rice
3 pinches saffron threads
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese,
1/3 cup of whipping cream (optional and non traditional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and minced shallots and cook until transparent, add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to stir occasionally, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Test the rice for doneness, it should be al dente but creamy. Remove risotto from heat, add grated cheese and cream, salt and pepper and let it sit to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Gratin
Roast, peel, stem and de-seed two large peppers.
Oil the bottom of an oven proof gratin dish with olive oil.
Cut the peppers in 2 inch strips length-wise and line the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle with chopped olives, a few capers and some Parmesan cheese.
Add another layer of pepper and cover with breadcrumbs and another layer of Parmesan.
Grill until crusty and brown.