Could this smaller and easier-to-handle yet handsome, home-made and hearty preparation be an eventually possible option for a small Easter or other spring celebration meal for 4 people (in this unusual era and year of lockdowns, curfews and limited-number gatherings) to replace the more usual gigantic leg of lamb or other larger roasts ?
All you’ll need is 1 kilogram or four thick slices of turkey “osso buco” or simply put, cross-cut turkey shanks, with one kilogram of baby potatoes and 1 kg of cherry tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery, flavored with fresh herbs and dried spices and garlic, slowly braised in a combination of chicken stock and white wine and finished off with a thickened gravy, in under 3 hours from start to finish. In the end you’ll end up with approximately equal parts of meat, vegetables and potatoes for each serving of 525 grams each, which is a lot, but it’s supposed to be a holiday meal.
Even though the prepared meal is more important than the cooking dish or casserole used to prepare it, I have to tell you how much I love my new casserole that I used to prepare it in !
First of all, it was inexpensive, under 30€. It’s squarish and measures 25 cm x 25 cm wide x 15 cm high with the metal lid that can also be used as a cooking dish or searing and griling pan and is 5 cm high. It’s made of coated cast aluminum and weights about 2 kilograms. It also comes with a glass lid, a frying basket and a rack with legs that all fit right inside. I initially bought it to make fries and other deep-fried foods when I would be too lazy to take out my much larger fryer and it was practical but I’ve found myself using it for so much more. Anyways, I’m not here to promote this cooking tool so back to the dish, but yes, I loved using it for this all-in-one preparation !
Osso buco means bone with a hole in Italian, from where the dish originates, and is usually prepared with veal shanks and served with risotto, mashed potatoes or polenta and topped with a “gremolata” topping of finely chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. I’ve adapted it to be simpler and to be able to prepare everything in one pot which is why I included whole peeled baby potatoes and simply added a slice of lemon peel inside the herb bundle for flavor it and finished it off with a slightly thickened gravy made from the braising liquid.
If you need more portions, simply use a larger rectangular or oval baking dish with a lid and use 2 small racks or pot coasters inside for the potatoes that cook (while being steamed) above the braising liquid.
And there you go (all safe & sound I hope) so have a great weekend … :)
