Osso Bucco

By LDenvir

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry sweet Marsala
• 1/4 cup sultana raisins
• 6 crosscut veal shanks (osso buco), 10 ounces each
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons Armagnac or cognac
• 1 1/2 cups green seedless grapes
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup veal stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Pour 3 tablespoons of the Marsala over the raisins in a small bowl and allow them to soak until the raisins soften and plump, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Season the shanks with salt and pepper.
Heat an ovenproof sauté pan large enough to hold the shanks in 1 layer over high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until nearly smoking. Sear the shanks on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes per side.
Remove the shanks from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the shallots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf to the pan. Sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the Armagnac and the remaining Marsala and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the raisins and their soaking liquid.
Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and stir them into the sauce. Add the grapes, chicken stock and veal stock. Return the osso buco to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer.
Once the liquid has come to a simmer, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is very tender and starting to fall off the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the shanks to a serving platter.
Simmer the braising liquid over high heat until reduced to a thick sauce that will coat the back of a spoon. Stir in half of the chopped parsley.
Spoon the sauce over the shanks and garnish with the remaining parsley.