I am recovered, darlings, with more thanks than a fox can begin to express for your support during my recent, ahem, indiscretion.
So, bright eyed and bushy tailed once more, your favourite food freedom fighter finds himself back in the kitchen. And in a rather more meaningful way than a basic bacon sandwich/hangover cure (quelle honte, darlings, quelle honte - but needs must and all that, needs must).
Anyway, believe it or not, darlings, it transpires that there really are people in this world who believe that osso buco is a cut best reserved for the winter months.
Piffle and poppycock, darlings!
This wonderfully light, summery recipe will show you just how criminally wrong they are.
R.
x
REYNARD’S SUMMER OSSO BUCO
Serves 4
Ingredients
1kg osso buco
Salt & pepper
Flour, for dusting
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
A sprig or two of fresh thyme if you have it darlings
For the gremolata
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely grated
3 tbsp chopped parsley
If you can, mes choux, a little finely chopped mint or basil just to make it all that little bit more summery
Instructions
Prep the meat:
Season the shanks with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour.
Sear:
Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Sauté:
In the same pot, soften the garlic. Add another slug of olive oil if you need to, darlings. Introduce lemon zest and cook for 1 minute more.
Deglaze:
Pour in white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any bits.
Simmer:
Add stock, bay leaf, thyme, and the browned meat back in. The liquid should cover about 2/3 of the meat or so. But this is art, darlings, not science. Cover and simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Make gremolata:
Combine all gremolata ingredients in a bowl. It really isn't rocket science, darlings.
Serve:
Plate the osso buco with some of the light braising liquid, sprinkle generously with gremolata, and serve with a delicious lemony risotto or take all the meat off the bone and stir it along with a ladle of two of the liquid into one of these beautiful pastas, sprinkling the gremolata on top.
And do pour yourself a decent sized glass or two of Amber and Chris's wine to accompany, darlings. You wouldn't want your beautiful dish to be lonely now, would you? 😉🦊