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

ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES WITH LEMON-PARSLEY AIOLI

Steps:

• For the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the potatoes, salt, cayenne and olive oil. Place the potatoes cut-side down on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.
• For the aioli: While the potatoes are roasting, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Fold in the chopped parsley and set aside until ready to serve.
• Serve the potatoes warm alongside the bowl of lemon-parsley aioli, for dipping.

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.

FOIL-PACKET LEMON CHICKEN WITH FINGERLING POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Lay out four 18-inch-long sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
• Divide the potatoes and any juices among the foil sheets, mounding them in the middle. Top evenly with the shallots, thyme and lemon wedges. Top each mound with a chicken breast. Brush the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring the short ends of the foil together and fold to seal, then fold in the sides.
• Grill the foil packets seam-side up, 8 minutes. Flip the foil packet, gently press down and continue grilling until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 6 more minutes.

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.

TRADITIONAL OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Dust the veal shanks lightly with flour. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the veal, and cook until browned on the outside. Remove to a bowl, and keep warm. Add two cloves of crushed garlic and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until onion is tender. Return the veal to the pan and mix in the carrot and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, basting the veal every 15 minutes or so. The meat should be tender, but not falling off the bone.
• In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, 1 clove of garlic and lemon zest. Sprinkle the gremolata over the veal just before serving.

ORANGE FENNEL OSSO BUCCO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the osso buco with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and dredge them in flour. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the osso buco on all sides, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the osso buco to a platter and reserve.
• Pour all the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar, and with a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits adhering to the pan. Cook over high heat until the vinegar is reduced by half. Add the veal stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.
• Return the osso buco to the pan. Cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour.
• Split the fennel in half lengthwise leaving the core intact. Slice each half lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Uncover the osso buco and add the fennel, carrots and orange juice. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook uncovered an additional 45-50 minutes, basting occasionally. The meat should be fork-tender and the vegetables completely cooked.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the osso buco to a serving platter and keep warm. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a bulb-baster or ladle, and cook over high heat to thicken slightly, 4-5 minutes. Stir in orange segments, ladle the sauce and vegetables over the meat and serve.