The Literate Chef

Posts Tagged ‘lemon zest’

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Osso Buco Milanese

In Meat, Recipes, Veal on January 4, 2012 at 4:22 PM

Osso Buco Milanese with Gremolata and Risotto Milanese

Serves 4. Active Preparation – 30 minutes, cooking time 3 hours

Ingredients:

4 veal shanks, (Osso Buco) each about 1.5 inches thick (1 lb. each). If larger, have the butcher cut them in two, horizontally.
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
½ cup celery, finely chopped
½ cup carrots, finely chopped
7 garlic cloves—4 sliced thick, 3 minced
3 bay leaves
2 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 cups dry white wine
6 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp. veal demi-glace
2 tbsp. flour
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced Italian, (flat-leaf) parsley

Preparation:

1.    Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper.
2.    Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large braising pan add the butter and melt.
3.    Brown the veal shanks over medium-high heat until well browned on both sides 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and cover to keep warm.
4.    Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, sliced garlic cloves and bay leaves and cook over medium heat until they are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
5.    Add white wine and deglaze the pan. Add the chicken stock and thyme and bring to a boil.
6.    Add back the veal and any accumulated juices, cover the braising pan and cook on low heat for about 2- 2.5 hours, until very tender.
7.    Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata.  In a small bowl, mix the orange & lemon zest, minced parsley and the 3 minced garlic cloves.
8.    When the shanks are cooked, transfer them to a serving platter, cover with foil and keep warm in a preheated 200 degree oven.
9.    Strain the liquid into a bowl, discarding the solids.
10.    Rinse the braising pan and wipe dry. Pour the liquid back into the pan, bring to a boil over high heat, add the demi-glace and reduce on high heat for several minutes, lower heat, add flour and return meat to pan and keep warm until ready to serve.
11.    Pour the gravy over the Osso Buco, sprinkle each veal shank lightly with the gremolata and serve.

Note: The Osso Buco can be made in advance. Serve with Risotto Milanese.

One of the treats of this dish is the delicious marrow in the center of the bone. In fact, the name Osso Buco means bone with a hole.

Please see: Where Have All the Butchers Gone?

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Roasted Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon Zest

In Chicken, Meat, Recipes on October 31, 2011 at 6:56 AM

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Bell & Evans roasting chicken, about 7 lbs.
4 tbsps. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 lemon
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black pepper
1 cup dry white wine

Preparation:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2.    Zest the lemon to obtain about 2 tablespoons of zest. Retain the lemon for step 6.
3.    Using a fork, blend the chopped tarragon and lemon zest into the softened butter.
4.    Starting above the cavity, gently slip one or two fingers between the skin and the meat of the chicken’s breast to lift the skin and create a pocket.
5.    Take ½ the butter mixture and gently slip it into the pocket on one side of the breast bone, then do the same on the other side, spread the butter mixture by smoothing over the skin.
6.    Slice the lemon in half and place it in the chicken cavity.
7.    Generously salt and pepper the chicken skin.
8.    Place it on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes per pound (about 3 hours for a 7 pound chicken).
9.    About 90 minutes into the roasting, baste the chicken with the juices that have collected in the pan, pour the wine over the chicken and continue roasting for 30 minutes.
10.    Baste the chicken, raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 hour.
11.    Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, if it reads 175 degrees or more it is done.
12.    Remove the roasting pan from the oven, place the chicken on a platter and cover with foil, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
13.    Place the roasting pan on a stove top burner. Make a gravy by pouring the drippings from the roasting pan into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top, pour the drippings back into the pan, heat to a boil on low, whisk in several tablespoons of flour to thicken the gravy to your desired consistency. If too thick, add more wine and boil off the alcohol.

Serve with Roasted Herbed Vegetables and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

The vegetables and potatoes can both be cooked at the same, during the last hour that the chicken is roasting at 375 degrees, and the prep can be done while the chicken is in the early roasting stage.

Arneis, a crisp, flavorful, Piemontese white wine from the Roero goes great with this dish, as its hints of lemon are in perfect harmony with the flavors of the chicken.

Please see: Sunday Chicken Dinner – No Leftovers!

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