I couldn’t begin to claim any originality w-hats-oever with this here recipe, being something of a rip-off of the signature dish at St. John in Smithfield. But it’s a dish that you don’t really hear of people cooking at home and I’d like that to change. As affordable luxury goes I can think of few things that surpass this. Your butcher will practically give you veal bones (though I think the specimen on the left was rather more mature), and all you need is some decent bread and a few salad leaves to go with the marrow. Which, by the way, is just one of the most delicious things that will e’er pass your lips. So be not shy nor squeamish, and get yourself some of dem bones.
You will need
Veal bones, ideally the dainty centre bits but really anything with marrow in
Salt, or better, smoked salt
Sourdough
Parsley
Shallot
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Pepper
***
– Preheat the oven to 200C and sit the bones upright in a roasting tray or skillet. Season the marrow with a pinch of salt and roast for 20-25 minutes.
– Finely slice a shallot or two and mix with parsley leaves or salad leaves. I wouldn’t be too fussy about which leaves, but I would say the shallot is vital.
– When the marrow is just about ready, toss a little vinegar and a glug of olive oil through the salad along with salt and pepper. Toast a few slices of sourdough.
– Serve with something long and spiky with which to assault the marrow, and devour with gusto.
When we were kids, mum used to make lamb curry, asking the butcher to chop the lamb so that the bone (and marrow inside) were still in the meat. My sister and I used to adore sucking the marrow out of those bones, infused with the curry flavours but still with a distinct marrow taste too. Woe betide mum if she gave one of us more marrow bone pieces of lamb than the other! And sometimes, our poor Pops, who loved them too, didn’t get a look in!
So, knowing how we loved the marrow, she’d occasionally ask the butcher for some larger marrow bone pieces, for her girls. At that time, the only people who ever requested marrow bones did so for their dogs. So the butcher jumped to the conclusion that my mum was struggling for money, feeding her poor daughters this marrow bone meant for dogs… bless him!
Anyway, I still love bone marrow, whether it’s simply grilled and served, salted, on toast or whether it’s cooked in a rich curry. I got some huge marrow bones from Paganum last year and did them in a curry sauce, very yum indeed! Here’s the pic of them curried: http://www.kaveyeats.com/2009/11/curried-beef-marrow-bone-trip-down.html
Just out of curiousity – why don’t you soak the bones before roasting them?
My boyfriend treats me to marrow, parlsey salad and toast ( I’m always too guilty to make it for myself: the fat issue) but he always soaks them for a day before hand to draw the impurities in the bone.
I also that a nice bit of flaky sea salt is crucial after you spread the marrow onto the bread… yum.
Hi Naomi,
Soaking the bones just removes the blood, so if you’re a bit squeamish it’s recommended, but by no means a necessity.
J
Or if you’re doing something else with the marrow – like serving it with a steak – and you want perfect white flesh, then soaking is a good idea.
Ah it’s probably just that he wants to have pretty white flesh knowing him. Neither of us are squeemish in the least. We’re both (former or now part-time) chefs.
You’ve inspired me to hunt down some decent bone marrow for a Sunday dinner treat. Any suggestions to best butchers in London? I have been fortunate with Mount St Butchers who always save stock bones and other ad hoc pieces for me from time to time, sometimes with a little marrow. However, haven’t come across a butcher in central London that sells them in the shop window!
Yes you’ll need to call in advance and get them to save you some bones. Try Godfrey’s in Highbury, or Marky Market. J
Hi James; I was an entrant in the “A taste for Tomatoes” competition on Lovethegarden, which you recently judged. I am a Foodie myself, and derive great pleasure from growing my own veg – and cooking it. I invite you to visit my blog!