Chianti Braised Osso Buco With Roasted Fennel And Fingerling Potatoes And Lemon Parsley Pesto Recipes

OSSO BUCO WITH SAFFRON RISOTTO FENNEL, RED ONION AND ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Using a small, thick-bottomed rondeau, heat the olive oil and butter over medium high. Season the veal shanks thoroughly with salt and pepper. Coat the veal shanks with flour, shake to remove any excess, and brown well. Remove veal shanks from rondeau.
• Make the sachet:
• Add the vegetables and the sachet to the pan. Stir to coat and place the veal shanks on top. Add the wine, tomato sauce and stock, adjust the seasoning, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and cook the veal shanks in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
• Make the risotto:
• In a large sauce pot over medium heat, sweat the onion, shallots and garlic in the olive oil.
• When vegetables are soft, add the rice and saffron, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and continue cooking to toast the rice. When the rice is slightly browned, add the wine, stirring constantly.
• In a separate sauce pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the hot stock to the rice in three batches, stirring constantly until the liquid is fully absorbed.
• Continue the osso buco: Remove the shanks from the rondeau and reduce the jus to your taste.
• Make the tomato fondu:
• Warm olive oil in a stainless sauce pot over medium heat. Add the onions and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped garlic and simmer for 1-2 minutes, carefully cooking but not browning the garlic (the oil should stew the vegetables). Add the tomatoes, and continue cooking another 10 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced and slightly thickened.
• Make the gremolata: Combine and reserve.
• Make the salad: Peel an orange down to the flesh. Using a knife, separate each segment from the surrounding membrane and remove. Place segments in a bowl. Squeeze orange halves over bowl to release any remaining juice.
• Using a sturdy Japanese mandolin, shave the fennel, white bulb down at an angle. Place fennel in a mixing bowl, and then shave the onion. Add onion to bowl, and toss. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, the juice from the orange, salt and pepper to taste, and the olive oil. Toss again. Add the orange segments and chives, tossing once more, and serve.
• Fold the butter and cheese into the risotto, reserve over low heat.
• Pour jus over the shanks, top with gremolata, and serve with saffron risotto.

EMERIL'S OVEN-BRAISED OSSO BUCO WITH ORZO "RISOTTO"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until very hot. In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour with the Essence and dredge the shanks in the seasoned flour. Shake the shanks to remove any excess flour, then transfer shanks to the pot and cook until well-browned on all sides, working in batches if necessary, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the shanks to a roasting pan or deep lasagna pan large enough to hold the shanks in 1 layer and set aside. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the Dutch oven and cook until softened and lightly browned around the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the roasting pan along with the stock and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Cover the roasting pan and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the shanks are very tender.
• Remove from the oven and add the parsley and orzo to the pan; stir to distribute evenly. Replace the cover and return the pan to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and stir gently. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve immediately, 1 shank per person on top of a bed of orzo. Garnish with some of the grated Parmesan.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

STRACOTTO AL CHIANTI: BEEF BRAISED IN CHIANTI

Steps:

• In a stew pot, heat up the extra-virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef, onions and garlic. Sear for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add all of the wine. It should be enough to cover the beef. Season with salt and whole peppercorns.
• Bring the wine to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to gently simmer for approximately 2 hours.