Osso what?

Osso bucco n: a stew, originally from Italy, made with knuckle of veal, cooked in tomato sauce.

Not mine! La Vegetariana’s osso bucco is a bit different and something veggie heads can enjoy-I completely challenged myself with this dish because it is an Italian classic based around meat- veal nonetheless and I was a bit unsure of how to really “attack” it, but I’d say it was a success.

Firstly, I decided to use seitan or  “wheat meat” to substitute the veal and the rest fell into place. With an overabundance of garden goodies at home, I thankfully had fresh tomatoes and herbs to use. I cooked the seitan/ “meat” just like I’ve seen hundreds of family members, restaurant chefs and Food Network stars do so and made it work. I tossed it in seasonings, pan seared it and simmered it in an array of savory juices. I did a quick recipe search online and there are apparently many options of how to season the “meat” and what to serve with it. I stuck with a classic tomato/ red wine reduction. It was the most Italian way I could think of

My mom helped me make this dish work and when my friend Riana came over for dinner, she was impressed of how good it smelled and tasted! Once I began searing the seitan, I felt like a real chef making a meal for patrons in my restaurant and it was a rush of adrenaline. I was excited to experiment with this recipe and to try it, especially because I decided to serve it with a great heaping of vegan mashed potatoes. YUM! When we dug in, it was scary how much it reminded me of real meat and then not at all at the same time. It was a great balance of flavor and texture.It would surely impress any veg or non-veg. Give it a try! I’d like to hear reactions to using seitan and if you decide to season it to fit your palette!

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