OSSO   BUCO

Osso Buco (Italian for 'holed bone') is a Milanese specialty of veal shanks cooked in meat broth and flavored with white wine, tomato and herbs. Slowly braised, this relatively tough, yet flavorful cut of meat becomes meltingly tender, and the connective tissues and marrow dissolve into the sauce, making it rich and creamy.

The shank is a relatively cheap cut of veal which is readily available in most good supermarkets and butcher shops. Look for meaty hind-shanks cut from the top of the thigh with a high proportion of meat-to-bone; each piece should be about 5" across and 1" to 1½" thick.

       Ingredients

• 4 slices veal hind shank, about 1" to 1½" (2.5cm to 4cm) thick
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 3 ribs celery with leaves, chopped fine
• 1 medium carrot, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbs. butter
• 4 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 cup (240ml) dry white wine or white vermouth
• 2 cups (about 480ml) meat broth
• 3 tbs. tomato paste
• 6 anchovy fillets, mashed
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2 strips lemon peel
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• flour

       Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. If the butcher has not done so, tie the shanks around the middle with kitchen twine; this will keep them from falling apart during cooking.
3. Choose a heavy, covered roasting pan or Dutch oven which will just accommodate the veal shanks in one layer. Put the butter, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the onions, celery and carrots in the pan and sauté over medium heat until the vegetables have wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon peel and sauté until they're fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet until it is near the smoking point. Lightly flour the veal shanks and slip them into the oil. Richly brown the shanks on both of the cut sides, then place them in the roasting pan on top of the vegetables.
5. Place the wine in the skillet and boil until reduced by one-half, scraping up any brown residue. Pour this over the veal shanks.
6. Heat the beef broth to a boil in the skillet, whisking in the tomato paste and anchovies. Add this to the veal shanks, along with the herbs, several grindings of pepper, and a large pinch of salt. The liquid should cover ¾ of the shanks. If not, add extra water.
7. Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 2 hours, turning and basting the shanks every ½ hour. If you notice that the cooking liquids have nearly evaporated, add hot water, about ½ cup at a time. The veal is done when it is fork tender and falling from the bone.
8. Transfer the shanks to a platter, remove the strings, and cover to keep warm. If the sauce seems watery, as is probable, place the pan on the stove top over high heat and reduce the cooking liquid until the sauce has a thick, creamy consistency. Pour the sauce over the shanks and serve.    

Tip : use left over base (soup) add rice or pasta and break up any meat left over for a lovely soup dish, perfect for a quick meal

Creme caramel with strawberry glaze

Crème caramel is a light custard mixture that is poured into a caramel-coated mold and baked in a water bath. After baking and chilling, this dessert is turned out onto a serving plate. The melted caramel then forms a topping and sauce for the custard. This dish is known as crema caramella in Italy, flan in Spain and Mexico and crème renversée in France.

         Ingredients

         For the Strawberry Caramel:

• 8 Strawberries
• 200ml Water
• 300g Castor Sugar

         For the Custard:

• 1 Ltr Milk
• 12 eggs (whole)
• 150g Castor Sugar

         Procedure

1. Pre-heat oven to 315°F (160°C).
2. Spray 12 175ml ramekins or moulds with Canola spray.
3. Place strawberries and water in blender until puréed and then strain to get seeds out.
4. Place sugar and pureed strawberries into small pot.  Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until it turns golden and starts to caramelise.  Remove from heat and pour into ramekins (enough to cover the bottom ½cm). Refrigerate for 30 minutes before adding custard mix.           Note: this mix will NOT make the usual toffee consistency but will take more of a jam like form.
5. Place milk in a saucepan and warm (to blood temp of 28-32°C).
6. Whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl and then add milk gradually.
7. Place ramekins into a deep tray and 3/4 fill with custard mix and fill tray with 2cm hot water.
8. Cover with alfoil and cook for 30 mins or till firm to touch.
9. Remove tray from oven and remove the alfoil and when the ramekins are completely cool, cover with clingwrap and chill thoroughly for several hours in the refrigerator before turning out.
10. When you are ready to serve, loosen the sides with a paring knife, put a deep serving plate on top and then turn it upside down and give it a hefty shake.

Tip :Serve with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.