A Full Table with Serafina
A full table is one of the best parts of this season. It means the people we love are close, the food is warm, and nobody is in a hurry to leave.
Our friends at Serafina shared a dish made for gathering. It is a lamb osso buco, slow braised until tender and served over brown butter polenta with a bright pine nut tapenade. The recipe rewards patience, and the lamb is even better made a day ahead, which leaves more time for the people at the table.
Lamb Osso Buco with Brown Butter Polenta and Pine Nut Tapenade
Serves 4
Lamb Osso Buco
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 center-cut lamb shanks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6½ cups mirepoix (about 3¼ cups onion, 1½ cups carrot, 1½ cups celery, or roughly 2 large onions, 3 carrots, and 3–4 celery ribs)
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2½ cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, such as San Marzano (about 21 oz)
- 6½ cups chicken stock
- 1⅔ cups red wine (about half a 750 ml bottle)
- 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8–10 sprigs fresh thyme
- A small handful of fresh oregano sprigs
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
DIRECTIONS:
Season the lamb shanks generously on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy braiser, sear the lamb over medium-high heat until golden brown on all sides, working in batches if needed.
Remove the lamb, then add the mirepoix and garlic and cook over high heat until the vegetables take on some color. Add the tomato paste and anchovy fillets and cook until a fond forms on the bottom of the pot.
Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up the fond, and reduce by at least half. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Return the lamb to the pot, or transfer everything to a deep baking dish, so the shanks are about two-thirds submerged.
Scatter the herbs over the lamb, cover tightly with a lid or foil, and braise at 300°F for about 3 hours, until the lamb is tender throughout.
Rest at room temperature for one hour. The lamb can be served right away, but it is even better refrigerated overnight in its braising liquid, which also makes it easy to lift off the solidified fat.
Brown Butter Polenta
INGREDIENTS:
- 3¼ cups water
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon polenta
- 6½ tablespoons unsalted butter (about 3¼ oz)
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil and season it with salt. Slowly whisk in the polenta, reduce the heat to low, and stir very frequently for 45 minutes to an hour, until the grains are completely soft. If the polenta gets too thick before it is tender, loosen it with a splash of hot water.
When the polenta is nearly done, melt the butter with the rosemary in a small pan over medium heat, swirling, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. Remove the rosemary, then whisk the brown butter and mascarpone into the polenta. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until serving.
Pine Nut Tapenade
INGREDIENTS:
- ⅓ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and quartered
- ¼ cup Taggiasca olives, pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons chopped Calabrian chilies
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup loosely packed mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, and oregano, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust with more lemon or olive oil if needed. The olives and capers bring plenty of salt, so taste before adding any.
To Serve
Gently reheat the lamb in its braising liquid, covered, in a 325°F oven or over low heat on the stovetop until warmed through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a plate and keep warm. Strain the braising liquid, pressing on the vegetables, then simmer until it reduces to a sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Spoon the brown butter polenta onto each plate, top with a lamb shank, spoon the sauce over, and finish with the pine nut tapenade.
However you gather this year, we hope your table is full and your light is warm.
