OSSOBUCO AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

A delicious,warming food that my mother would prepare during the cold season is the "risotto alla Milanese". This is a recipe coming from the northern part of Italy but it is so good that we, southerners, couldn't avoid borrowing it.
It's not difficult to prepare, it's just a long process so you have to spend some time in the kitchen.

To prepare the ossobuco you will need:

3/4 pieces of veal shank with bone
1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper
3TBS olive oil
2TBS butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 handfull of parsley
1/2 glass of dry white wine
2 cups salted water
1 can of chopped tomatos

Dredge the veal shank in the flour mixture.
Warm up oil and butter in a heavy skillet and sear the ossobuco on both sides till browned.
Remove veal from skillet and add onions , celery, carrots, garlic, parsely and bay leaves.
Cook till soft, then add wine and let it evaporate.
Add the diced tomatos, the shanks and the water. Cover with a lid and let it cook at low heat for about 1 hour and a half. Remove cover and cook for other 10 minutes to reduce liquid.

To prepare the risotto you will need:

2 cups of riso arborio
1 litre chicken broth
2 TBS olive oil
3 pinches of saffron
3 TBS parmesan

In a pan warm up oil, add rice and cook for couple of minutes stirring. Add saffron and 2/3 ladles of broth. Stir until liquid is absorbed, then add more broth.
Repeat operation for around 15 minutes, then add the bone marrow of the veal shank and parmesan.
Stir for few more minutes and switch off heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Serve risotto with a piece of ossobuco and its sauce.
On top of the meat you can add a gremolata made of grated lemon ring mixed with finely chopped parsley and garlic.

....so delicious and tender!!!!