Karen Martini’s ossobuco with a spicy twist

Name: Karen Martini’s ossobuco with a spicy twist
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 8–10 pieces of veal ossobuco (3½cm–4cm thick); salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper; 100ml extra virgin olive oil; 100g butter; 2 brown onions, finely diced; 2 carrots, quartered lengthways and roughly diced; 3 celery stalks, finely sliced; 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed; 100g ’nduja*; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 200ml white wine; 1 litre chicken stock; 2 rosemary sprigs; 2 fresh bay leaves; 3 thyme sprigs; 2 x 400g tins of butter beans, drained and rinsed; zest of ½ lemon, to serve; 100g parmesan, to serve

Karen Martini

June 16, 2023

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4

This is a tasty deviation from the northern Italian dish of ossobuco, employing ’nduja, the fiery, soft sausage from the south. It brings so much flavour, making for an intense and complex braise with a relatively swift cooking time.

The butter beans also make this a deliciously robust meal for the cooler weather. Sourdough bread with butter and a winter-leaf salad provide the perfect finishing touches.

Ingredients

8–10 pieces of veal ossobuco (3½cm–4cm thick)
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
100ml extra virgin olive oil
100g butter
2 brown onions, finely diced
2 carrots, quartered lengthways and roughly diced
3 celery stalks, finely sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
100g ’nduja*
2 tbsp tomato paste
200ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock
2 rosemary sprigs
2 fresh bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
2 x 400g tins of butter beans, drained and rinsed
zest of ½ lemon, to serve
100g parmesan, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 2
Toss the veal in a bowl with lots of salt and pepper.
Step 3
Place a large, cast-iron pot over medium heat and add half the oil and half the butter. Seal the veal in batches until golden-brown on both sides, then set aside.
Step 4
Add the remaining oil and butter to the pot, along with the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Saute for about 8 minutes until soft and golden, then add the ’nduja and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5
Return the veal to the pot and stir through to combine. Add the tomato paste and stir through, then add the wine and simmer for about 3 minutes to reduce. Add the stock, topping up as necessary with water so the veal is covered. Drop in the rosemary, bay leaves and thyme and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 6
Lid the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise for about 40 minutes until the meat is tender and coming away from the bone. Then, gently stir through the butter beans and increase the heat to 220C (240C conventional), returning the uncovered pot to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes to reduce and colour. Once cooked, check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Step 7
To serve, finely grate over the zest from the lemon and serve from the pot. Grate parmesan over each plated dish, and serve with salad and plenty of bread.