105 minute recipe: osso bucco, polenta and chard

Our resident chef Kate Percy brings a taste of Milan to the table with a colourful recipe that’s quick to prepare.

Comforting, balanced and very delicious, this Milanese dish is perfect for supporting your everyday training. It’s packed with plenty of energy: carbohydrates to keep your glycogen levels topped up, protein to repair and rebuild tired muscles, essential fatty acids to help strengthen the immune system plus important micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and iron.

It’s also incredibly quick and easy – just 15mins to prepare then the oven does the rest of the work. Plus, it looks and tastes very impressive! Use spinach or greens if you can’t get hold of chard.

Serves 2

Prep time 15mins

Cooking time 90mins-2hrs

Equipment required sharp knife and chopping board, flameproof casserole dish, frying pan, large saucepan, long-handled wooden spoon, zester or grater

Nutrition (per serving)

›› Energy 885kcal

›› Protein 61g

›› Carbohydrate 83g

›› Fat 34g

›› Sugars 5g

›› Saturates 14g

›› Salt 2.5g

›› Fibre 7g

Ingredients

For the osso bucco

– 2 large pieces of osso bucco (veal or beef shin, bone in)
– 10g butter
– 1tbsp olive oil
– 1 medium onion, peeled and finely sliced
– 2tbsps plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
– 300ml beef or chicken stock

For the gremolata

– Zest of one lemon
– 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
– 2tbsps fresh parsley, chopped

For the rainbow chard

– 2tbsps water
– 5g unsalted butter
– 1 small bunch of rainbow or Swiss chard (350g)
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the polenta

– 160g quick cook polenta
– Water
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 10g unsalted butter

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 140°C. Melt the butter with the oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and gently sauté until soft and translucent. Coat the osso bucco pieces in the flour. Add to the frying pan, fry for 5mins on each side until brown.

Step 2

Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Boil for a few minutes then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 90mins, until the meat is tender and the sauce is fairly thick. Halfway through cooking time, remove the lid, turn the meat over and cover again.

Step 3

When the meat is ready, remove from the oven to rest and cook the chard. Heat the butter and water in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chard and gently cook for 2mins, or until the stems are tender and the leaves have wilted. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Step 4

Make the gremolata by combining the parsley, lemon zest and garlic.

Cook the polenta in a large pan, according to pack instructions for soft polenta. This should take 2mins. Stir constantly with a long-handled spoon, until the polenta is the consistency of semolina or porridge. Stir in the black pepper and a knob of butter, remove from the heat and spoon onto two warmed plates.

Step 5

Arrange the chard and the meat between the plates, and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle over the gremolata and serve.

(Images: Ewelina Karbowiak)

For lots more fuelling advice head to our Nutrition section.