Lamb Ossobuco Casserole with Polenta Crust

5 from 5 votes

Lamb Ossobuco Casserole with Polenta Crust

The classic Italian ossobuco gets a make over for this Lamb Ossobuco Casserole with Polenta Crust. Chunks of lean, succulent lamb are slow-cooked in a rich sauce and vegetables until tender and saturated with flavor. The casserole has a gremolata sprinkled on the crust at serving.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lamb casserole

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1-½ pounds of lamb stew meat in 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 large onion coarsely chopped
2 carrots coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced or grated
½ cup dry white wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

For the Polenta Crust:

2 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken broth or water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white or black ground pepper
1 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg lightly beaten
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Gremolata:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

Instructions

For the Casserole:

Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 2 quart oven-proof casserole dish.
In a shallow dish or plate, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the lamb pieces in the flour mixture and place on a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet set over medium-high and sear the lamb pieces,in batches until browned. Remove from the skillet as they brown and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and cook the onions, carrots, celery and garlic just until the onion is soft.
Add the wine to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, scraping the bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomatoes and the beef broth. Return the lamb to the skillet and bring to a boil.
Transfer the mixture to the greased casserole dish, add the rosemary sprigs and cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Transfer the casserole to your workspace, remove the foil and allow to rest while making the polenta crust.

For the Polenta Crust:

Adjust the oven temperature to 400°F
Combine the milk, broth, salt, and pepper in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cornmeal. Stir continuously with a wire whisk to keep the polenta from clumping.
Once all of the cornmeal is blended, continue to stir for 2–3 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically with a wooden spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, egg and cheese.
Spoon the polenta on the top of the casserole and return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

For the Gremolata:

Combine the chopped parsley and lemon zest together and when the casserole is ready to serve sprinkle the mixture over the crust.

Notes

Lamb cuts can be from the leg, shank, breast or shoulder. Trim off as much fat and sinew as possible.
Before adding the polenta mixture to the casserole, spoon off as much of the fat that has rose to the top.
To make in advance: The casserole can be assembled and baked without the crust, refrigerated overnight then the polenta crust can be mixed and added when ready to bake.

Nutrition