About the Recipe
Oyster blade braised low and slow until it falls apart, built on a base of chicken stock, anchovies and EVOO. The braising liquid gets finished with Parmesan and breadcrumbs into a thick sauce, then capers and fresh parsley cut through the richness. Served with warm polenta. Simple ingredients, long cooking time, big flavour.
Ingredients
1 oyster blade of beef
5 tbsp plain flour
500 ml chicken stock
1 clove garlic
200 g EVOO
4 tbsp breadcrumbs
3 anchovies
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch parsley, chopped, plus extra leaves for garnish
2 tbsp capers in vinegar
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Ask your butcher to remove the fat cap from the top of the meat and trim all excess fat.
Season the meat generously with salt and pepper, then dust it lightly with plain flour. Place it in a cast iron pot.
Cover the meat with enough chicken stock to submerge it (you may not need the full 500 grams). Add the EVOO and the anchovies. Bring the stock to the boil, then cover with the lid and reduce the heat.
Cook the meat very gently for about 3 hours, or until very tender. Toward the end of cooking, add the chopped parsley and thinly sliced garlic.
Rest the meat for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the liquid, then whisk in the grated Parmesan and enough breadcrumbs to bring the sauce to a fairly thick consistency.
Slice the meat and arrange it on a serving plate. Spoon over a generous amount of the EVOO and breadcrumb sauce. Garnish with capers and fresh parsley leaves.
Serve with warm polenta.