fabulous @CookCarluccio 's Osso Buco in Bianco, with a rather murky risotto milanese..

Why is it when I make risotto milanese recently, no matter how long I infuse the saffron it never goes that lovely yellow colour you get in the photos, eh? I toast my little strands carefully, grind them in my little mortar, and pop them in my nice hot stock. And get a murky ochre colour. I reckon it must by my supermarket saffron. I must invest more money in this most expensive of spices it would seem ;(

But whatever, it tasted fab, topped with a thick veal steak cooked to Antonio Carluccio's classic recipe from  Two Greedy Italians , the book that went with the BBC series with Gennaro Contaldo.  This version cooks the veal in white wine with no tomatoes, which I prefer.

British rose veal is still rather expensive I think, but deliciously tender and flavoursome, and well worth pushing the boat out for a change.  You need one nice steak of veal shin, cut across the bone (the osso buco or hollow bone of the title of the dish) per person.  As ever, my recipe will feed two people, but this can be multiplied up easily.


2 x 5cm-thick slices veal shin
Plain flour, to coat
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, very finely chopped
2 celery stalks, very finely chopped
4 bay leaves
100ml dry white wine + half a glass of marsala (the marsala isn't in Antonio's recipe but I love the slight sweetness it gives)
500ml  stock - Antonio uses beef or chicken stock, but I used Essential Cuisine's delicious veal stock.
4 sage leaves
1 rosemary sprig
Grated zest of 1 small orange

for gremolata: chopped parsley, lemon zest and fresh garlic mixed together.

1. Coat the meat in flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole, add the veal and fry until browned all over. Set aside.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bay leaves to the same pan and fry, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until the onion is softened. Pour in wine and Marsala, allow to reduce slightly, then add the meat, stock, sage, rosemary and orange zest. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add a little more stock if it is getting too dry. I like to serve this with a sprinkling of gremolata and the risotto of course. 

My best recipe for risotto milanese is on my Greedy Piglet blog - lovely slumpy syrupy rice. along with a recipe for the tomato version of Osso buco. Apparently mashed potato also goes well with this. But I think I like the classic way better :)