Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto: The Disney Cruise Line Recipe

<strong>Disney Cruise Line</strong> has shared its recipe for <strong>Osso Buco</strong>—slow-braised veal shanks served over golden <strong>Saffron Risotto</strong> with a red wine reduction and fresh gremolata. A classic Italian-inspired showstopper, this four-component dish is drawn from the culinary team aboard the cruise line's fleet and can be recreated at home.

Disney Cruise Line has released one of its most ambitious at-home recipes: Osso Buco, the classic Milanese preparation of slow-braised veal shanks, paired with a saffron-scented risotto, a concentrated red wine sauce, and a bright citrus-herb gremolata. This four-component dish reflects the culinary ambition of Disney Cruise Line's fine-dining team and is designed to serve four.

The Full Recipe

Below is the complete at-home recipe for Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto, as prepared by the Disney Cruise Line culinary team. Serves 4.

Osso Buco

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 center-cut veal shanks
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as Merlot)
• 4 cups veal stock*
• 1 (14-ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

Saffron Risotto

Ingredients

• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 4 shallots, finely diced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1/2 large carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 leek, finely diced
• 1 1/4 cups red wine
• 2 cups reserved Osso Buco cooking liquid

Gremolata

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Saffron Risotto

1. Bring vegetable stock to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep warm on stove.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, deep sauté pan or stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots, cooking until just tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add rice, stirring to coat in butter. Cook until rice turns milky white and opaque, and just begins to stick to bottom of pan.
4. Add wine and brandy, and stir 2 minutes, until liquid is almost absorbed. Crumble saffron into pan, stirring to combine.
5. Ladle about 1 cup simmering stock into rice. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring often, until stock is almost completely absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring gently until almost all broth is absorbed before adding the next cup. Add stock until rice is creamy and cooked through.
6. Stir in mascarpone, cream, and Parmesan; season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

Osso Buco

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Heat oil in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper; working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add shanks and sear until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and onion to pan, adding additional oil if needed; cook, stirring often, until softened.
4. Add wine and tomatoes to pan, stirring until wine is reduced by two-thirds. Add shanks back to pan; pour stock to cover shanks by three-quarters.
5. Cover pan and place in oven. Cook 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until shanks are very tender.
6. Remove shanks from cooking liquid; strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside (you will need 2 cups for the Red Wine Sauce).

Red Wine Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, celery, carrot, and leek. Cook until vegetables begin to brown.
2. Add wine and cook until almost completely reduced. Add strained cooking liquid and simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through a fine-mesh sieve.

Gremolata

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until completely combined.

Plating and Serving

Spoon risotto in the center of a dish; place a shank over risotto. Top with gremolata and drizzle with red wine sauce.

Cook's Note: If veal stock is unavailable, substitute half beef stock and half chicken stock.

What This Means for Home Cooks

Osso Buco is one of the most technically rewarding dishes a home cook can attempt—the long braise transforms tough veal shanks into fall-off-the-bone tenderness, while the cooking liquid becomes the foundation for a deeply flavored red wine sauce. The addition of Saffron Risotto and bright, acidic gremolata turns this into a restaurant-caliber meal that mirrors the caliber of dining aboard Disney Cruise Line's fleet. Those eager to taste the original can browse upcoming sailings at DisneyCruise.com.