Marguerite
Active Member
The tomato basil sauce reminded me of my osso bucco recipe - it uses basil (when I have it - not during winter, sadly, so I substituted some tarragon stalks still looking greenish in the garden).
My osso bucco sauce - after first frying the sofrtio (chopped carrot, celery and onion with garlic, all sweated until soft) and then browning the seasoned floured meat pieces, I toss in any leftover seasoned flour and mix it with any remaining oil. Then I deglaze the pan with white wine and a tin of peeled tomatoes. Maybe add some beef stock or water - it depends on total liquid quantity. Then I throw in the fresh chopped herbs which, if at all possible, includes a generous amount of fresh basil. Also thyme, oregano and parsley. Lemon herbs too if I have them - lemon thyme, lemon balm or even lemon basil. I then puree the sauce (often the sofrito as well - meanwhile the meat pieces are on a dish). Once I'm happy with it, the sauce is either poured over the meat pieces in a casserole dish and then placed in a very slow oven, or it's put together on the stove for a very slow simmer, for three hours at least. I also put in a lot of bay leaves at this point, usually several bay leaves between each piece of meat.
The sauce for this is very tomato-ey, very herb-y. (Yes, I pick out the bay leaves - most of them, anyway). The sauce can be used as a tomato soup on its own, if I've made too much.
Another recipe - get a tin of tomatoes or maybe some good tomato juice. De-seed and finely chop a fresh red chili, half a garlic clove and several onion slices and a handful of fresh basil leaves. Add ice. Blend. Serve immediately as gazpacho. Or put it in a glass with a shot of vodka for a Bloody Mary. Serve with a stalk of celery as swizzle stick. difficult child 1's favourite.
Marg
My osso bucco sauce - after first frying the sofrtio (chopped carrot, celery and onion with garlic, all sweated until soft) and then browning the seasoned floured meat pieces, I toss in any leftover seasoned flour and mix it with any remaining oil. Then I deglaze the pan with white wine and a tin of peeled tomatoes. Maybe add some beef stock or water - it depends on total liquid quantity. Then I throw in the fresh chopped herbs which, if at all possible, includes a generous amount of fresh basil. Also thyme, oregano and parsley. Lemon herbs too if I have them - lemon thyme, lemon balm or even lemon basil. I then puree the sauce (often the sofrito as well - meanwhile the meat pieces are on a dish). Once I'm happy with it, the sauce is either poured over the meat pieces in a casserole dish and then placed in a very slow oven, or it's put together on the stove for a very slow simmer, for three hours at least. I also put in a lot of bay leaves at this point, usually several bay leaves between each piece of meat.
The sauce for this is very tomato-ey, very herb-y. (Yes, I pick out the bay leaves - most of them, anyway). The sauce can be used as a tomato soup on its own, if I've made too much.
Another recipe - get a tin of tomatoes or maybe some good tomato juice. De-seed and finely chop a fresh red chili, half a garlic clove and several onion slices and a handful of fresh basil leaves. Add ice. Blend. Serve immediately as gazpacho. Or put it in a glass with a shot of vodka for a Bloody Mary. Serve with a stalk of celery as swizzle stick. difficult child 1's favourite.
Marg