Osso Buco literally means “bone hole”.  You see, the are cooked with the bone in and the rich marrow in the center of the bone is part of what makes this dish so special.  The marrow that is scooped out from the center of the bone has a unique, fabulous flavor that is enhanced by the long, slow cooking process.

Osso Buco is said to come from Milan, which is the capital of the Lombardy region of Italy.  In this area, the dish is traditionally served with risotto alla Milanese – made with saffron.  Another traditional addition to this dish is a Gremolda – or gremolata.  This is a simple mixture of parsley, garlic and grated lemon peel.

When I make this authentic Italian food, I prefer to make a version from the Tuscany region.  It is called Osso Buco alla Fiorentina.  There are two reasons I like this recipe better.  First of all, I love mashed potatoes with this rich sauce and it is much easier than standing there stirring risotto.  Also, I’m not that crazy about the gremolata and this dish is not traditionally served with it.

Authenic Italian Food: Osso Buco alla Fiorentina

Have your oven heating to 325 degrees.  Have 4 veal shanks about an inch and a half thick.  Before you start braising these, Make two shallow cuts about 2 inches deep on the outer edge of the meaty part of the shank. This will keep the meat from curling while cooking.  Rub the shanks all over with salt and pepper and sear in 3 tablespoons of good olive oil for four minutes on each side – until nice and golden brown.  The pan should be medium-high for this step.  Set the shanks aside.

Now reduce your heat to about medium and saute’ 2 yellow onions, 2 peeled carrots and 2 celery stalks – all finely chopped.  Cook these for about 10 minutes or until softened.  You may need to add a bit of water if your pan gets dry.  Now raise the heat to high and add a cup of good red wine.  Boil for three minutes to reduce a bit and remove from heat.  Stir in 3 canned plum tomatoes that you have chopped coarsely.

Place the shanks in an oiled baking pan and top with all the veggies.  Cover with foiland bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours – until the meat is fork tender.  Be sure to spoon the pan juices over the shanks as they are served!  Enjoy this gourmet Italian delight!

Watch Osso Bucco being made at the Culinary Institute of America!

Mangia Bene!

Of the many Italian chicken recipes out there, this one is unique.  I saw Emeril make this a few years ago, and last week Guy Fieri made it on his show.  What makes this method so fabulous, is that when it is done it will be a gorgeous bronze color with a super crispy garlic/herb skin and succulent, moist meat with an amazing flavor.

You will need two clean bricks covered with aluminum foil and a cast iron skillet (Le Creueset works fine).  The chicken must be “spatchcocked” – which simply means the backbone is removed. This is done with a knife or good sturdy poultry shears.

Once this is done, open the chicken like a book and put it on a board.  Now press down HARD to flatten the chicken out.  Now you want to marinate the chicken for at least two hours with an herb mixture.  You can use your imagination, but you must have garlic and rosemary, salt and pepper, lemon juice and olive oil.  You want to muddle all of these things together until you have a paste.  Rub this all over the chicken and transfer to a wide, shallow dish.  Now refrigerate, covered,  for at least 5 hours or overnight.  If you are pressed for time, you can let it sit on the counter for half an hour before you finish one of my favorite Italian chicken recipes.  Ready?

Okay.  Now have your oven at 450 degrees.  While the oven is heating up, put your cast iron pan over fairly high heat for a few minutes.  Add a nice coating of olive oil and put the chicken in, skin down and let it brown for about five or six minutes.  You can add extra garlic and/or rosemary sprigs if you like.  Now put the bricks on top and put it all in the oven for fifteen minutes.

Take everything from the oven and carefully remove the bricks.  The chicken should have a gorgeous color and should be cooked through.  Remove the chicken to a platter and deglaze the pan with some white wine and chicken stock.  Season to taste.  Let it reduce to a nice sauce consistency and pour it all over one of Tuscany’s wondrous Italian chicken recipes – Pollo al Mattone.

Of course, cooking this dish over a grill will only enhance the flavor even more, so you might want to try that method when you have a little extra time to prepare.

If you would like to see Maria make Polla al Mattone, just click here to watch her!  Mangia Bene!