Veal Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta

I think I cooked dinner the other night, but I can't be sure!!!

Now before you start wondering whether I have hit the cooking sherry that is hidden in the kitchen cupboard, or if I am having a "senior's moment", let me explain.

This dish was just so easy to make that it truly felt like I hadn't cooked.  With the help of my "apprentice" Thermie, the preparation took me all of about 7 seconds, and then I just had to let it simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes.  Thermie then stepped up to the plate and cooked the polenta for me - so really not much to do at all!!!

This is one of those wonderful winter warmer meals - smells great while it is cooking, and just warms the cockles of your heart when you are eating it!!!

Veal Osso Bucco
From Good Food by Neil Perry

Serves 4-6

1.2kg veal shanks, cut osso bucco style
1 tbs plain flour, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 cup Ligurian Olives (optional)
2 tbs tomato paste
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup white wine
400g can tinned tomatoes *
3 cups chicken stock
4 fresh bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs

* These are my favourite canned tomatoes at the moment - great flavour - and I just love the little cherry tomatoes in my sauce!

Place the flour in a large plastic bag.  Season with the salt and pepper.  Toss the veal shanks in the flour.

Heat some olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan and cook the shanks until browned all over.  Remove from the pan.  Heat a little more oil and add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and a pinch of sea salt, and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft.  Stir in the olives (if using), tomato paste, lemon and orange zests, wine, tomatoes, stock bay leaves, thyme and browned shanks.

Simmer very slowly, covered for 1 hour.  Remove the lid, and simmer uncovered for an additional 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Check the seasonings, and add salt and pepper if needed.

Serve with creamy polenta.

Creamy Polenta
From EDC Thermomix Cookbook

1500g water **
20g olive oil
salt to taste
350g polenta
50g butter
grated parmesan cheese


Place the water, oil and salt in the TM bowl and cook for 12 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1.

Add the polenta slowly to the bowl (with the blades turning on speed 1) and cook for 15 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 2.

Add the butter and season to taste with the parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

** you may wish to use chicken stock instead of water for a richer flavour.  You could also use half and half water and stock.  For an even creamier polenta you could replace half of the liquid with milk.

Polenta (Non Thermomix)
From Good Food by Neil Perry

250g polenta
sea salt
100g unsalted butter, chopped
150g finely grated parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper

Bring 1.25-1.5 litres water to the boil in a saucepan.  Add some sea salt and pour in the polenta, whisking constantly, until it is completely incorporated.  Reduce the heat and cook for 40 minutes at a gently simmer, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the butter and the parmesan cheese.  Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Thank you to my good friend Madame T, who came and kidnapped me last week when I was down in the dumps!  She took me on a walking foodie tour of Ramsay Street Haberfield.

We visited  Pasanella, a wonderful cheese shop, Colefax Chocolates, Franks' Fruit Market, The Haberfield Bakery, and David Gojak Butchers to name but a few.  From the butchers shop I procured some wonderful meat - these veal osso bucco, some tomato and provolone cheese sausages, and some absolutely beautiful home made chevapi sausages (I will show you what I did with those in another post!!)

What a wonderful day - looking at, and tasting food is sure to make one feel so much better!!!  Thank you Madame T!!!!

Are you wondering what I did with all that time I had while dinner was simmering away on the stove??

I was sitting here at the computer of course!!! I ran across a blog that let me while away the time.

If you are like me, and like houses - looking at other peoples homes, trawling real estate sites - then this blog is for you.  I actually found out that I am not alone in this voyeuristic habit.  Julia has a little questionnaire on her site - and it appears that I am definitely "Hooked On Houses".  On this blog site you will find houses that have been in movies - celebrity houses, and just plain funny stuff that has been seen on houses listed for sale.  If you are into houses check it out - there's a lot of fun stuff there!!!  While it is an American site it is interesting!  I think I found my dream home there!!!!

So Dear Readers what do you do to while away the time while dinner is cooking?  Do you have any interesting blogs/websites you would like to share??  Do tell!!!