Recipe courtesy of Matteo's Osteria

Lamb Brasato Ossobuco

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 4 hr 45 min
  • Active: 1 hr 35 min
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Saffron Risotto:

Gremolata:

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep-fry thermometer; cheesecloth; kitchen twine; a copper risotto pan
  1. In a large stainless steel bowl, coat lamb shanks with some oil, salt and pepper. Bring the remaining blended oil to 385 degrees F in a rondo or Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
  2. Sear both sides of the lamb shanks until dark golden brown. Add carrots, celery and onions and cook until caramelized. Add garlic and cook for 10 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine, adding it and stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the rondo. Cook, letting the alcohol evaporate, about 8 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, veal demi and chicken stock. Salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place lamb shanks in a roasting pan, then add vegetable mix over top. Add bay leaves. Cover with a layer of parchment paper and then a layer of aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes, then strain the sauce with a fine chinois.
  4. Place 1 ladle of the Risotto in the center of a plate. With the back of the ladle, press down to create space for plating lamb shank vertically. Plate lamb shank. Ladle the braised lamb sauce around the Risotto. Finish with a drizzle of 1 tablespoon Gremolata over top of lamb. Repeat to make 3 more plates.

Saffron Risotto:

  1. Start by making saffron stock, combining chicken stock with 1 sachet saffron in a pot. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside for later.
  2. On medium-high heat, using a copper risotto pan, add half of the butter and the rice. The goal here is to toast outer shell of rice, but not brown it. This technique allows rice to have a more al dente texture when the cooking process is complete. Using a wooden spoon, stir the rice around the pot, keeping it moving at all times. Add onion and cook until they turn translucent and fragrant. Your rice should be seared but not browned. Deglaze with white wine and cook off alcohol. Add saffron stock 1 cup at a time. Cook, constantly stirring the risotto with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks to it. (The idea behind constant stirring is so all the rice cooks evenly; otherwise the rice at the bottom of the pan is at a hotter temperature and higher humidity, thus, it will cook faster than the rice on the surface of the pot. Add stock as needed. You want your risotto to be al dente, so make sure that when it comes to al dente you have as little liquid in the mix as possible.) The consistency you are looking for is that the risotto will barely run off the end of the wooden spoon. When the saffron stock is absorbed, finish with the Italian technique called "manteca" ...meaning to finish with remaining butter and Parmesan.

Gremolata:

  1. Heat up a saucepan on low heat and add oil. Stir in garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, lemon and orange zests. Season with salt and pepper.