Osso buca with gremolata

 
photography by: Louis Hiemstra

The perfect dish for a cold winter night. Best enjoyed with a good bottle of red wine.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15-20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

35 oz (1kg) veal on the bone
½ cup plain flour
Salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp  olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 red onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 x 14 oz (400 g) tins of diced tomatoes

½ cup kalamata olives (optional)
½ cup good quality beef stock
2 bay leaves

Gremolata
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp fine lemon zest

Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).  
Season the flour and coat the veal in flour mixture. Shake off any excess.
Heat half of the butter and oil in large frying pan and cook the veal over a medium heat on both sides until browned.  Transfer to large ovenproof dish.
Heat the remaining oil and butter in the same pan. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, onion and celery and cook until fragrant and the onion is soft.
Add the wine, reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomatoes, olives if using, stock and bay leaves and return to the boil.
Pour tomato mixture over the veal and cover with a tight fitting lid or foil.
Cook covered until the veal is tender, about 45 minutes.
Make the gremolata by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.
Serve the osso buco with the gremolata and cauliflower mash. 


Notes:
This osso buco is delicious served with soft polenta, mashed potato or cauliflower mash. For the cauliflower mash, boil 12oz (250g) cauliflower until tender. Cook two potatoes and mash with 2 Tbsp butter and milk. Puree the cauliflower and fold into the mashed potato, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg or a little smoked paprika.

Variation:
Replace the veal with lamb shanks and serve osso buca over creamy mashed potato