Osso Buco with Wild Mushroom Risotto

 

About a year ago, for his birthday, I bought Scott a Le Crueset dutch oven and the book Braises and Stews by Tori Ritchie. While we have made a few delicious summertime dishes from this book, once the barometer starts to drop, the dinner ideas really start to stew! So when I found myself at the Reading Terminal Market last week buying dried mushrooms without a plan for them, I quickly concepted a meal around the purchase, consisting of two dishes I’ve never made in my life, and was psyched about it. Osso Buco and Risotto. I’ve never cooked with veal, but I have gotten down the general braising process, so I wasn’t too daunted by this undertaking. The risotto recipe in the cookbook is called a “shortcut risotto” so I knew it was totally manageable as well, and my own addition of the wild mushrooms wasn’t tricky at all. I find when braising and slow-cooking the key is to figure out how early I have to start prepping the meal. Luckily last night, after finishing the classic film, Summer Lovers (starring a young Sandy Cohen, ahem, Peter Gallagher), I was able to begin cooking around 4:30 and we were licking or plates clean before 8. Not too shabby! So, onto the recipes!

Osso Buco with Capers and Lemon (adapted from Braises and Stews, by Tori Ritchie)

• 6 Osso Buco (veal shanks)
• 1/2 Cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 TBSP Butter
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil (plus more if needed)
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Lemons
• 3 TBSP Capers, drained and rinsed
• Chopped Fresh Parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat the shanks well with paper towels (do not rinse). Dredge them in the flour and shake off excess. Sprinkle with salt. Melt the butter in the oil in the bottom of an 8- to 10-inch dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, add shanks in 1 layer (do this part in batches if necessary). Cook until crusty and golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes, then brown on the other sides, turning shanks as necessary with tongs, about 5 minutes more. Transfer shanks to a plate. Continue with remaining shanks, adding more oil to the pot as needed.

When all shanks have been removed, add the onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes (if flour starts to scorch, also add 1/2 cup water and stir to release browned bits). Increase heat to high and pour in the wine; let boil for 1 minute to cook off some of the alcohol. Pour in the broth and let mixture come to a boil. then return shanks to pot. Cover pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until meat peels easily off bone when prodded with a ford, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning shanks over once about halfway through cooking.

Transfer pot to stove top and place the shanks on a plate. Grate the zest of both lemons into the pot and squeeze the juice into it as well. Stir in the capers. Taste the salt and season with salt and pepper to preference. Increase the heat to high and reduce sauce down to desired consistency and flavor. Divide the shanks among plates, top with sauce and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with Wild Mushroom Risotto, below.

Wild Mushroom Risotto (adapted from Braises and Stews, by Tori Ritchie)

Start to prep the ingredients for this while the Osso Buco is in the oven. Once you’ve had the meat in the oven for 1 hour, start the cooking process so both dishes are done at approximately the same time.

• About 1 1/2 Cups Dried Oyster and Chantarelle Mushrooms
• 2.5 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup of reserved broth from soaking the mushrooms
• 3 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, Chopped
• 1 1/2 Cups Arborio Rice
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
• 1/2 Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Boil about 4 cups of water and remove from heat. Place dried mushrooms in the water and cover, let sit until they’re soft. Once softened, remove the mushrooms from the hot water and set aside to cool. Once cooled, chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 1 cup of this soaking liquid.

In a small saucepan, bring the broths to a boil (total of 3 1/2 cups of liquid). Then reduce the heat to low and keep warm on a back burner while you make the risotto. Place a ladle with at least a 1/2 cup capacity nearby.

In a 10- to 12-inch-wide saute pan, warm the oild over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until coated with the oil, about 30 seconds. Pour in the wine, stirring until it almost evaporates. Ladle in 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until it just evaporates. Ladle in another 1/2 of broth and repeat this process until you’ve added 2 cups of broth. Should take about 8 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup of the remaining broth, let come to a boil, then add the chopped mushrooms and stir to combine. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until rice is just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Stir in the remaining broth and the cheese, then remove from heat. Cover and let risotto stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with Osso Buco and Eat up!