Ossobuco with Prunes, Apricots and Saffron

Recipe From What's For Lunch, Honey?

Fusion food at it's best.

Printable version of recipe here

Prep time: 45 minutes Cook time: 2 hours, 20 minutes Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Ossobuco

  • 1.4 kg veal shanks, about 2 cm thick. Ask the butcher to leave the skin around the veal to hold it in place to the bone.

  • 120g shallots, finely chopped

  • 80g carrots, diced

  • 100g parsnips, diced

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 60g dried apricots, coarsely chopped

  • 60g prunes, coarsely chopped

  • 250g pearl onions

  • 200ml dry vermouth

  • 400ml veal stock

  • 400g canned tomatoes

  • Pinch saffron threads

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 8 stems thyme

  • 6-8 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2-3 tablespoons flour

  • Salt and pepper

For the Germolata

  • 1 organic lemon, zest

  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C.

  2. Dredge both sides of the veal shanks in seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour.

  3. Add a good glug of olive oil in a wide roasting tin and over medium heat brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.

  4. If required drizzle some more olive oil and saute onions until translucent - about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnip and garlic and continue to saute for another 3-4 minutes.

  5. Pour the vermouth and reduce to about half. Add stock and canned tomatoes, then return the veal shanks making sure they are covered in the liquid. Take about 1 tablespoon of the liquid out into a small bowl and with your fingertips crush the saffron strands into it. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Cover the roasting tin and gently braise in the oven for approx. 1 1/2 hours.

  6. Remove the tin from the oven and pour in saffron, add the prunes, apricots, pearl onions and herbs. Cover and continue to braise for another 40 minutes.

  7. In the meantime prepare the germolata, by mixing all the ingredients together and allow for the flavors to absorb into each other.

  8. Serve the Ossobucco with buttered fettuccine, mashed potatoes or creamy polenta sprinkled with the germolata.

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Recipe: Ossobuco with Prunes, Apricots and Saffron