Side dish (starch?) for osso bucco?

If you don't want to make risotto with your guests in attendance, how about a soft polenta? It's probably next in line for classic pairing.
You can put it on the stove a few hours before they come and just leave it to simmer until you're ready to serve. Water, polenta and salt to taste - whisk the polenta into the boiling water until you see swells developing- that's it.
You can actually leave this on for hours and hours with the occasional stir of a wooden spoon. (don't turn the burner off - it will harden immediately)

i agree with mangiare. polenta

just add hot water, stir and let it heat up.

If you want a non-starch alternative, puree steamed cauliflower, butter, and some salt and pepper. It works like a creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.

quote:

Originally posted by DoubleD:
If you want a non-starch alternative, puree steamed cauliflower, butter, and some salt and pepper. It works like a creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.

Blech... That's like saying margarine works like butter, imo....

PH

Purée roast cauliflower!

quote:

risotto or a soft polenta

Forget the cauliflower.

When timing is a factor-- as it is in this case-- I like to do polenta wedges. Make the polenta in advance the usual way, but keep stirring until it pulls completely away from the sides of the pot. Then put all of it into a well-buttered or oiled brownie pan (you'll likely need 2 if you're making a lot to serve 10 big eaters), or glass pyrex dish, or anything else that's square or rectangular and can go in the oven. The polenta should be about an inch thick. I like to put a little extra parmiggiano on top as well.

Before you serve, heat it in the oven for about 15 min. (you can also do it on the grill, as the polenta gets very firm once it has cooled) and then cut it into wedges (or you can stick to squares or circles, or modified polyhedrons if you have some time to kill) to serve under the osso bucco and its sauce. If you grill it, cut it into wedges first.

When you make the polenta, you can vary it a bit by adding things like finely diced bell pepper, or well-browned mushrooms, or lots of Italian parsley, etc. I even did it once with shrimp to accompany sea scallops. This is really an easy go-to dish for me.

Another option for the polenta is to make it in advance and then cut into squares and then saute it to a crispy brown.

I believe that Keller has this in his Ad Hoc book.

It's really good and would be quick and easy.

re: make ahead polenta - I've had good results, once done, putting it in a metal bowl with saran wrap over top set in a pot on the stove like a double boiler and let it simmer away gently - it will hold indefinitely as long as you don't run out of water in the pot. I also think it helps 'fluff' it up a little and smooth out some of the lumps (i'm no mangiare..)

I made osso buco this past Saturday. Typically, I'll make risotto as a side starch, but I didn't want to mess with it this time. Instead I made roasted potatoes with chevre, thyme and rosemary. Not a classic side for osso buco, but I thought it worked quite well.

quote:

Originally posted by Danyull:
Purée roast cauliflower!

Cauliflower is not food.

PH

quote:

roasted potatoes with chevre, thyme and rosemary.

Better... Did the cheese get in the way at all?

PH

Great thoughts, all. I do think I'm going to go with pre-made polenta. I like the idea of adding something to it to step up the flavor just a bit. Mushrooms would be great (sautéed well ahead of time, of course), as well as some good, bitey cheese.

I know it's not traditional but Aligot works quite well. Though it goes from a rich meal to a life ending one...

quote:

Originally posted by PurpleHaze:

quote:

roasted potatoes with chevre, thyme and rosemary.

Better... Did the cheese get in the way at all?

PH

I didn't think it did at all.

I will agree with everyone who is making sense. If risotto is too time-consuming for you, go any number of polenta dishes. My preference would be for soft polenta, either finished the last few minutes with white wine, stock and grated parmesan worked in, or else sauteed wild mushrooms.

No love for gnocchi? Would work well with the aforementioned mushrooms and cheese.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

While polenta is a great suggestion, the Risotto pairing with Osso Bucco trumps the polenta combination hand down (IMHO)

If we're talking risotto for ossobucco = bone marrow and saffron made with veal stock, just saying.

quote:

Originally posted by winetarelli:
I will agree with everyone who is making sense.

You too, eh.

quote:

Originally posted by mangiare:
If we're talking risotto for ossobucco = bone marrow and saffron made with veal stock, just saying.

Go big or go home

A classic pairing and for good reason

It's definitely a "Sunday" dish.

Hey- you guys have Joe Beef and PDC amongst other things.

quote:

Originally posted by mangiare:
It's definitely a "Sunday" dish.

Hey- you guys have Joe Beef and PDC amongst other things.

Did you read the recent news that these two restaurants are to begin serving wild game dishes starting next autumn (a recent QC government allowance)?

Thanks for the update - I had no idea.
Really need to get to Montreal one of these days.

quote:

Originally posted by mangiare:
Thanks for the update - I had no idea.
Really need to get to Montreal one of these days.

+142. A wild game night offline at joe beef with a twc contingent this fall? I would be willing to put that down in permanent ink in my calendar.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob_Sutherland:
+142. A wild game night offline at joe beef with a twc contingent this fall? I would be willing to put that down in permanent ink in my calendar.

An awesome idea indeed but JB is not BYOB and the table limit is (6) due to restaurant size

quote:

Originally posted by KSC02:

quote:

Originally posted by Rob_Sutherland:
+142. A wild game night offline at joe beef with a twc contingent this fall? I would be willing to put that down in permanent ink in my calendar.

An awesome idea indeed but JB is not BYOB and the table limit is (6) due to restaurant size

Bah, there's nothing wrong with two nights of gluttonous debauchery!

It's just every time I read once again about PDC/JB etc. I again realize how much I need to get there again!

Know what you mean Rob. I actually pulled out both of their books last night for some enjoyment. They epitomize gluttony in a respectful way.

quote:

Originally posted by mangiare:
Know what you mean Rob. I actually pulled out both of their books last night for some enjoyment. They epitomize gluttony in a respectful way.

The original PDC or the new Sugar Shack one? The sugar shack along with _Fat_ are the next ones on my list of cookbooks to buy.

This might be heresy, but I think PdC is overrated. Yes, go once for the experience, but I have never gone back.

For my money, both JB and Club Chasse et Peche are way better.

quote:

Originally posted by steve8:
This might be heresy, but I think PdC is overrated. Yes, go once for the experience, but I have never gone back.

Huge +1. I went back and did not enjoy.

Still need to get my cherry popped though.

I've heard its just too much and balance is not in their vocabulary. Tough sell for me as my lovely wife doesn't eat red meat.

I ended up making a big pan of mushroom polenta the morning of the Osso Bucco dinner, and it worked out quite well.

I sautéed some crimini and shiitake mushrooms in olive oil and butter, slowly, and got great color and a bit of carmelization (don't stir too much, and don't salt!). I sautéed them in the stainless steel pot in which I planned to cook the polenta. I removed the shrooms and poured in water, deglazing the pan. Brought to a boil, stirred in the polenta and, after a bit, added the mushrooms, some finely minced rosemary, and simmered and stirred for awhile. Just before completion, I threw in about 1/3 cup of sour cream. Poured that into a glass baking dish and chilled.

Before dinner, I cut the polenta into triangles and topped them with good parmesan cheese, placed under the broiler to brown, and served with the Osso Bucco on top. It worked out really well. Thank you all for the suggestions.