Julia Child’s Classic Osso Buco with Citrus and Basil
#veal#vermouth#basil#braised#classic
A tender osso buco recipe inspired by Julia Child, featuring veal shanks slow-cooked in a fragrant tomato, citrus, and white vermouth sauce with fresh basil and garlic.
Slice half a cup of carrots into half-moons and finely chop half a cup of onion.
Blanch three firm ripe tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds to loosen the skins, then remove stems, peel, cut across, squeeze out seeds and juice, and roughly chop the flesh.
Wash the lemon and orange, then peel them into very thin strips about 1/16 inch wide using a julienne technique, slice these thinly, and then chop into small pieces.
Blanch the lemon peels in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove bitterness, then drain.
Finely chop one tablespoon of fresh basil using the chiffonade technique and crush two garlic cloves.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Brown two veal shanks on all sides, doing this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
In another pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, add the chopped onion and carrot, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, until softened.
Add the browned veal shanks to the vegetable mixture, ensuring there is enough space for the meat.
Pour one cup of dry white vermouth into the pan and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon over high heat to loosen all browned bits.
Add two cups of quality veal stock, making sure the liquid reaches halfway up the meat.