Recipe: Veal osso buco with saffron risotto (Milanese style)
Serves 4
For the veal osso buco:
- 1/2 cup flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 pieces veal shank with bone, cut 3 inches thick
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 Cup of diced pancetta
- 2 cup red wine
- 2 cups veal or chicken stock
- 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- Saffron Risotto, recipe follows
Method:
1. In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess.
2. In a large heavy skillet, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.
3. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and pancetta to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove the cover; continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
For the risotto:
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large chopped onion
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 3 pinches saffron threads
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large sauté pan add oil, onion and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When the rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads.
3. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Test the rice as it should be al dente but creamy.
4. Remove risotto from the heat; add grated cheese, butter, salt and pepper.
For the gremolata:
- Grated rind of 1 lemon
- Grated rind of 1 orange
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Method:
Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl
To serve, sprinkle the gremolata over the Ossobuco. Serve Ossobuco with the Saffron Risotto.
Recipe: Veal osso buco with saffron risotto (Milanese style)
Serves 40
For the veal osso buco:
- 2.5 lb of flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 40 pieces veal shank with bone, cut 3 inches thick
- 1/2 gallon olive oil
- 4 lb butter
- 10 onion, chopped
- 3 lb diced celery,
- 3 lb diced carrots
- 20 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 20 bay leaves
- 3 lb of diced pancetta
- 1 gallon red wine
- 1 gallon of veal or chicken stock
- 20 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- Saffron Risotto, recipe follows
Method:
1. In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess.
2. In a large heavy skillet, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.
3. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and pancetta to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking.
5. Remove the cover; continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
For the gremolata:
- Grated rind of 10 lemon
- Grated rind of 10 orange
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
For gremolata, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
For the saffron risotto:
- 2.5 gallons of chicken broth
- 2.5 lb tablespoons butter
- 2.5 lb tablespoons olive oil
- 10 large chopped onion
- 5 lb Arborio rice
- 30 pinches saffron threads
- 2.5 lb Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large sauté pan add oil, onion and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When the rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time.
3. Continue to stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Test the rice as it should be al dente but creamy. Remove risotto from the heat; add grated cheese, butter, salt and pepper.
To serve:
Sprinkle the gremolata over the Ossobuco before serving. Serve Ossobuco with Saffron Risotto.
About Andrea Aiudi:
Born and raised in the small town of Urbino in the Marche region of central Italy, Aiudi was inspired to cook at an early age by spending time in the family kitchen and working in local restaurants. He further developed an appreciation and understanding of the cuisine of the Marche region, which is bordered by Umbria and the Adriatic Sea, when he served as a Commis Chef at the Hotel Rio and later the esteemed Hotel Ducale.
His interest in learning about cuisines and cultures beyond Italy lead him to London in 1997. After spending a year cooking at Toto's, a theater district dining destination, Aiudi returned to Italy to cook at the Grand Hotel Terme in the Northwestern part of the country.
In 1998, he ventured to the United States accepting the position of Restaurant Chef at the Cucina Rustica Restaurant at the Orient Express' The Lodge at Vail, in Vail, Colorado. A year later, he returned to his roots in Italy at the Excelsior Palace Hotel in the coastal village of Portofino serving as Chef Entremetier.
In 2000, he was invited to join the InterContinental Hotels Group as the opening Executive Chef of its Los Cabos, Mexico property. Following Los Cabos, Aiudi worked closely with the InterContinental Hotels Group to open two additional properties - the InterContinental Houston and the InterContinental Atlanta.
Aiudi returned to his Italian culinary roots in 2005, accepting the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Hotel Caruso Orient Express Hotel in Ravello. Later, Aiudi ventured to Spain, returning to the InterContinental Hotels Group as Executive Sous Chef at the InterContinental Mar Menor. After the successful opening of this property, Aiudi accepted the position of Executive Chef at the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco and currently oversees the corporate dining throughout the 550-room property.
For more information, visit www.intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com.
