Turkey Osso Bucco

Tags

gremolata, osso bucco, stew, Turkey

Slowly cooking the turkey in wine for a few hours gives the delicious melt in the mouth texture and buttery rich textures that one usually associates with a traditional veal Osso Bucco yet it is a healthier version. Be sure to use turkey legs for this recipe. You can use whole drumsticks or thighs or ask your butcher to cut it into pieces for you. My butcher sells turkey legs already cut into rounds for this very purpose – very handy.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 turkey pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Gremolata:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 360F
Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry and ensure even browning
Dredge the turkey in the flour to coat and shake off any excess
In a large dutch oven or casserole dish, heat the oil over medium high heat
Add the turkey and cook until brown on both sides
Transfer the turkey to a plate and set aside
In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until golden brown
Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes
Add salt and pepper
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute
Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes
Add the herbs and place the turkey on top on them in a single layer
Add enough chicken broth to come 2/3 up the sides of the turkey
Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat
Cover with a tightly fitting lid
Cook until the turkey is fork-tender, about 2 hours, turning the turkey after 1 hour
Season to taste
Meanwhile, for the Gremolata:
Combine the chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a bowl
Cover and reserve until serving the turkey
To serve: Sprinkle each piece of turkey with a large pinch of Gremolata
Serve immediately
Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Beef short ribs in red wine and port

Tags

Beef, beef short ribs, braising, port, stew, wine

Beef short ribs are an inexpensive yet delicious cut of meat. They are richly marbled and need to be cooked long and slow to bring out the exquisite tenderness and flavour. The addition of port to the dish brings out a beautiful richness. It is a perfect recipe for a dinner party as it can be made ahead of time. The ribs are a natural with mashed potato or pasta.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 short ribs, each with a bone
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, sliced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
Bouquet garni
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle fruity red wine
2 cups ruby port
4 cups / 1 liter beef bouillon
Parsley, roughly chopped as garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 160C / 325F
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat
Season the short ribs with salt and black pepper
When the oil is hot, brown half of the short ribs until well caramelized on all sides, about 10 minutes
Transfer the ribs to a platter and repeat with the remaining short ribs
Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and reduce the heat to medium
Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes
Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer
Stir in the flour and continue to cook, stirring, for 3 minutes
Add the tomato paste
Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping to release any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom
Pour in the port, stock, and bouquet garni, adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil
Return the short ribs to the pan, along with any accumulated juices, then cover the pan and place it in the oven
Cook until the meat is fork-tender and beginning to pull away from the bones, basting the ribs occasionally with the braising liquid, 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Transfer the ribs to a large platter, discard any loose bones, and cover the ribs to keep them warm.
Skim the fat from the top of the braising liquid and discard
Gently strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, carefully transferring the vegetables from the pot to a platter
Discard the bouquet garni
Return the braising liquid to a clean Dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
Simmer until the liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes
Season the sauce to taste
Return the meat and the vegetables to the Dutch oven and simmer briefly until heated through
Sprinkle with the fresh parsley
Serve immediately
Enjoy!

 

Chicken with chorizo, potatoes, chickpeas and lemons

Tags

Chicken, chickpeas, chorizo, lemons, potatoes, spanish, stew

The smell when this simple, one dish meal is cooking, is simply fabulous. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and then you sit back and enjoy a glass of white wine and wait for the oven to do its job. Make sure to have lots of fresh baguette on hand to mop up all that superb juice at the bottom of the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lemon, quartered (preferably organic)
6 to 8 pieces thighs and drumsticks
1 tablespoon paprika (sweet)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
200g / 8oz strong chorizo, cut into small chunks
12 cloves of garlic, peeled
400ml / 1 3/4 cup hot chicken stock
2 pinches saffron
1 tin chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Parsley, fresh, roughly chopped
1 cup Greek yoghurt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
Mix the paprika, the salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil together and massage into into the chicken pieces
Place the chicken in a roasting dish
In a medium bowl, mix the potatoes with the chorizo and the rest of the olive oil
Scatter around the chicken
Cover with a lid or aluminum foil
Place in the oven for 30 minutes
Remove the lid or foil, stir all, add the lemon quarters, garlic, hot stock, saffron and the chickpeas and return to oven for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked
Sprinkle with parsley
Meanwhile mix the yoghurt with a pinch of paprika and a pinch of saffron and stir well – serve alongside the chicken with lots of crusty baguette
Enjoy!