“The preparation of this dish should be left to the Milanese, since it is a specialty of Lombardy. I will describe it in the most straightforward manner possible, lest I should be ridiculed.” Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well by Pellegrino Artusi, 1891.
Pellegrino Artusi was a business man with the passion for literature, but his really success arrived with his cookbook wrote when he was in his late sixties. This book became a viral success (as we would say today) and it is the third most read book in Italy, after The Betrothed and Pinocchio.
I have a very old copy of this book, a friend of my mom gave it to me, she had purchased it when she was young.
It has been raining heavy for two days, the wind and the sea are roaring and I feel uneasy. Homesick and uneasy. That’s why I felt the need to dust off my old “Artusi” and cook something that will pamper my soul.
And you, what do you read or cook when you feel homesick?
Ingredients
(serves 4)
- 4 pieces osso buco (veal shanks)
- Salt and black pepper
- Some white flour to dust
- 50 gr extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 120 gr. dry white wine
- Homemadechicken broth
- For the Gremolada:
- Finely minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
- Zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
- 6 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
- For the Risotto alla Milanese
- 400 gr. risotto rice
- 1 liter of chicken broth
- 40 gr extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 100 gr. dry white wine
- 0,5 gr of saffron
- salt
- 30g unsalted butter
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the risotto, plus more for serving
Directions
- Put the saffron in 50 ml of water and let it rest for at least 5 hours
- Heat half olive oil over medium heat and add the onion until is softened and translucent. Pour it in a bowl.
- Prepare the ossobuco, do three cuts around the circumference of each shank to help to hold the shape during cooking.
- Flour the ossobuco, pour the remain oil in the same pan of the onion (but without the onion) and cook them until browned on both sides (roughly 5 minutes per side).
- Cover the ossobuco with the onion and pour the wine (it is better to warm the wine so that the alcohol evaporates as it can give a strange taste to the ossobuco). Let it evaporate.
- Pour the broth so that it will close to the edge of the ossobuco cover with the lid and let it simmer at low heat for about 35 minutes
- Turn the ossobuco and let them cook for another 35 minutes
- Meanwhile, for the Gremolada: in a small bowl, stir together parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Set aside.
- When the ossobuco has adsorbed enough liquid. Turn the heat off, pour the Gremolada, cover with the lid and let it aside while you prepare the Risotto alla milanese
- Heat oil in a heavy casserole over medium heat add the onion and cook it until translucent and soft.
- Add rice stir it for a few minutes and then add the wine. When the rice has adsorbed all the wine, cover it with broth stirring occasionally. As the liquid evaporate, add some more broth until the rice is nearly cooked.
- Add the saffron and let the liquid evaporated until nearly dry
- Close the heat, add butter and Parmigiano, stir and cover with the lid, let the risotto rest for a few minutes.
- Prepare the plate: spoon some risotto alla Milanese on the plate, carefully transfer the ossobuco paying attention not to ruin the marrow.
My Bookish Kitchen 