Head chef at the Weeping Willow, in Barrow, near Bury St Edmunds, Jordan Ryan gives his take on an Italian classic
Hello and welcome back. Just like that we are in February and finally what feels like the longest month is over.
To kick things off this year I’m starting with a super classical Italian dish, which is a proper winter warmer and, in all honesty, an absolute winner for an early February lunchtime: beef ossobuco served with risotto alla Milanese.
This dish has been on our menu since the start of January and it’s gone down so well.
I had the idea when I was on a supplier day out last year at our butcher Rare Breeds Farm, we had a tour of the farm and butchery and some lunch, which consisted of many different cuts of meat. Part of what we got was some beef ossobuco – it was just braised down in a little ratatouille, simple yet so tasty.
Ossobuco, which means bone in hole in Italian – just in case you were wondering – originated in Milan and traditionally is a veal shank braised in white wine and stock.
We do it a little different at the restaurant, we use beef shin, braised down in white wine and stock with bone in. Low and slow is the way we go with this, the longer the better, it allows all that flavour to come out of the meat and the bone. This is fantastic as the bone marrow naturally reduces into the sauce and gives it a huge boost in flavour. Being beef shin it’s obviously a very used muscle, which means it can be dry and sinewy, so braising is the best way to cook it. Other dishes I’d expect to see shin/shank in are things like beef bourguignon or pies, etc.
Risotto Alla Milanese – you guessed it, also originated in Milan! Who’d have known….
So this beautiful dish consists of Arborio rice, cooked in saffron, shallots, garlic, white wine, broth and parmesan. Sensational isn’t it? Again, a super traditional dish in northen Italy, which is easily my favourite part of Italy and currently pushing favourite place I have ever visited. I’ve been lucky enough to travel a little of Italy and spent a long time in the northern area eating the beautiful food and soaking up the views. If you get a chance, definitely go.
Right, back to the food and time for the recipe and method.
So the main things to know with this dish are the beef is cooked low and slow until tender and almost pulls apart, whereas the risotto is cooked slowly but not for to long – you want the rice to have a little bite to it, creamy goodness with a tiny bite in the rice for texture.
As always enjoy this delicious winter warmer and I always want to see what you guys come up with, so feel free to send them over.
I’m looking forward to next month’s column already as I have some exciting things planned. So have a good one and I’ll see you then, thank you for reading.
OSSOBUCO WITH RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE
Serves 4
For the beef:
4 beef shins (bone in)
2 litres veal/beef/chicken stock
1 tin tomato purée
1 bunch of celery
3 shallots
2 carrots
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
200ml dry white wine
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch rosemary
Salt to taste
For the risotto:
400g Arborio rice
40g butter
2 shallots
1 pack saffron (usually .04g packs in supermarkets)
3 garlic cloves
200ml white wine
2 litre chicken/beef stock
Parmesan – however much you like, the more the merrier for me
1 bunch of chives
Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C
2. Season the beef shins/shanks with salt.
3. Heat the butter in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef shins/shanks and brown them on all sides. Remove them and set them aside.
4. Add the diced shallots, garlic, celery, carrot and a pinch of saffron to the pot. Sauté until the shallots are translucent.
5. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and add the tomato purée.
6. Return the beef to the pot and add the chicken or beef stock. Bring to a simmer.
7. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for about two to four hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
For the risotto:
1. Heat the chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Once heated, reduce the heat to low and keep the stock warm.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and garlic and sauté until it becomes translucent.
3.Add the Arborio rice to the pot and stir continuously for about two minutes, ensuring that each grain is coated with butter and becomes slightly toasted.
4. Pour in the dry white wine, stirring constantly until the wine has evaporated.
5. Add the saffron threads to the warm stock and stir to infuse the colour and flavour.
6. Begin adding the warm stock to the rice, one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until the liquid is almost completely absorbed before adding the next ladleful of stock. Continue this process until the rice is cooked al dente, which should take about 12-16 minutes.
7. Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of butter and the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve the Risotto Milanese immediately, garnished with additional Parmesan if desired.
Jordan Ryan is head chef at The Weeping Willow, 39 Bury Road, Barrow Hill, Barrow, Bury Saint Edmunds IP29 5AB
Call 01284 771881