The fire’s flickering, wine’s on the table and the osso buco is slow cooking. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The Politini family share their ultimate, heart warming dinner.
Ingredients:
10 veal shanks (osso buco cut)
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
6-8 shallots, whole (or 2 medium onions, quartered)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 400g can chopped tomatoes)
1 cup Vermentino or other dry white wine
1 ½ cups beef stock
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Season the flour with salt and pepper, adding a good pinch of dried oregano. Toss each shank in the flour until well coated.
Heat the oil and garlic in a frying pan. Add the floured meat to the pan to brown, then remove the shanks and place aside.
In an ovenproof baking dish, place the carrot, celery, shallots, bay leaves, remaining oregano and half the tomatoes. Place shanks on top of the vegetables in a single layer.
Cover with the remaining tomatoes, white wine and stock.
Place in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Cover with baking paper and cook for a further 45 minutes.
Serve with polenta, either creamy or grilled.
The perfect match
This osso buco matches perfectly with Politini’s Nero d’Avola, a medium-bodied Sicilian variety.
Lidia Politini says, “The Nero d’Avola has soft, fruity, red berry fruits upfront with a silky tannin finish. It’s earthy and humble, which matches the rustic, rich flavour of Mum’s slow cooked osso buco.”