Lamb Osso Bucco

Lamb Osso Bucco delivers wintry comfort food with lamb shoulder chops – Oz’s abundant alternative to ‘bones with holes’!

Photo by Wai Lin Coultas

By Wai Lin Coultas

A LOMBARD specialty, osso bucco traditionally braises veal shanks with white wine, broth, cinnamon and bay leaves, while modern recipes include tomatoes, celery, carrots and onions. Marrying the broth’s essence with a French love for flavouring casseroles with a bouquet garni, this recipe delivers wintry comfort food with lamb shoulder chops – Oz’s abundant alternative to ‘bones with holes’!

Slow cooked deliciousness – without gremolata but still perfect for rainy leisure weekends.

Ingredients

4 lamb shoulder chops (700g total)

2–4 tbsp plain flour

6 tbsp plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 brown onions, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, sliced

2 sticks celery, sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 cup white wine

1 cup seasoned beef stock

1 x 400g can diced tomatoes

180g streaky bacon, thinly sliced

12 pitted Kalamata olives, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas

300g Nicola potatoes, cut to 1.5 cm sticks

2g fresh thyme

3g fresh oregano

1 head lettuce heart, halved and outer leaves spread apart

iodised salt

cracked black pepper

Bouquet garni

4g fresh oregano

6g fresh thyme

10 cloves

4 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh dill

1 sprig fresh flat leaf parsley

Instructions

Coat lamb chops with flour seasoned with pepper and salt.

Brown chops in a casserole pot, with 6 tbsp oil heated over a high flame. Set aside.

In same pot, occasionally stir bacon until browned and crispy. Add carrots, onions, celery and garlic and stir until softened. Set aside.

Add wine to pot, cover and bring to boil. Scrape caramelised bits off the bottom.

Add tomatoes, stock, olives and bouquet garni, cover and bring to boil.

Return lamb, bacon and vegetables to the pot.

Bring to boil then simmer, covered, for 4 hours or until lamb is very tender and gravy has thickened.

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 220°C and roast potatoes for 40–45 minutes in 2 tbsp oil seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme.

When ready to serve, cover lamb with foil to keep warm.

Stir peas into piping hot gravy before seasoning with salt and pepper and removing bouquet garni.

Serve lamb and gravy with roast potatoes and lettuce heart, garnished with fresh oregano.

Serves 2