Ossobuco with peas

I’ll provide you with a variant of the Milanese ossobuco, with the addition of peas, which will lend a sweetness to the strong flavor of the meat. Remember that traditional ossobuco usually does not include peas, but the combination is nevertheless delicious. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 slices of veal ossobuco
• 200 g of fresh or frozen peas
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• Flour, as needed
• 1 glass of white wine
• Meat broth, as needed
• Butter, as needed
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Salt and pepper, as needed
• (Optional) A bunch of chopped parsley and grated zest of 1 lemon for the gremolata

Preparation

1. Clean and chop the onion, carrot, and celery into very small pieces.
2. Lightly flour the ossobuco slices.
3. In a large frying pan, melt a knob of butter with a drizzle of oil and sauté the chopped vegetables for a few minutes until they become translucent.
4. Add the ossobuco slices, brown them well on both sides, then deglaze with white wine.
5. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, adding hot meat broth as necessary to prevent it from drying out too much.
6. Halfway through cooking, add the peas. If they are fresh they may take longer, if frozen, they will cook more quickly.
7. Continue cooking the ossobuco with the peas until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

If you wish, just before turning off the heat, prepare the gremolata by mixing chopped parsley and grated lemon zest, sprinkle it on the ossobuco to add a fresh and aromatic touch.

Serve the ossobuco hot, accompanied by its gravy and perhaps with a portion of Milanese risotto or polenta, to stay in tune with Lombard tradition.

Curiosity

Ossobuco is a very ancient dish, whose origins date back to the 18th century in Milan. Traditionally it is accompanied by gremolata, a mixture of chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest that enhances its flavors.