Daily Italian Recipe · Antipasto
Ossobuco-style Bone Marrow on Toast
Roasted beef marrow meets bright lemon, parsley and garlic gremolata on crisp focaccia toast. This Lombardy-inspired antipasto borrows the signature finish of ossobuco alla milanese—not its slow braise.
Total time
40 minutes
Serves
4 people
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Lombardy
Ossobuco alla milanese belongs to Lombardy’s tradition of slowly cooked veal shanks, cut across the bone with their prized marrow intact. Gremolata—a freshly chopped mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic—provides a fragrant contrast to the rich meat.
Here, marrow takes centre stage in a contemporary antipasto inspired by those Milanese flavours. Toasted focaccia, associated especially with Liguria, provides the base: an Italian pairing rather than a claim to a historic Lombard recipe.
Ingredients
- 600 g total, 2 bone pieces, bone-in weight Bone Marrow of Carima Marbled Beef, chilledShop
- 250 g Home Made FocacciaShop
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
- 2 g finely grated unwaxed lemon zest, yellow part only
- 2 g peeled garlic, finely chopped
- 1 g fine sea salt
- 0.3 g freshly ground black pepper
Method
- 1
1. Heat the oven and prepare the bones
Heat the oven to 220°C conventional or 200°C fan. Check the exposed marrow for loose bone fragments and wipe these away with damp kitchen paper, then pat dry. Arrange the bones in a snug roasting dish with an exposed marrow surface facing upwards; use crumpled foil supports if necessary to keep them upright.
- 2
2. Roast the marrow
Season the exposed marrow with half the salt and the pepper. Roast for approximately 20–30 minutes, depending on the thickness and cut of the bones. Start checking at 20 minutes: the marrow should be soft and gently bubbling, not completely melted away. Check that its centre reaches 75°C with a thin food thermometer, avoiding contact with bone.
- 3
3. Chop the gremolata
While the bones roast, finely chop the parsley by hand. Combine it with the lemon zest and garlic just before serving. Keep this mixture fresh and uncooked; do not blend it into a paste.
- 4
4. Make the focaccia toasts
Cut the focaccia horizontally into thinner slabs, then divide into 8 small toast pieces. Place cut-side up on a baking tray and toast in the oven for the final 6–8 minutes of the marrow’s cooking time, until the edges are crisp and the cut surfaces lightly golden.
- 5
5. Spread while warm
Rest the roasted bones for 2 minutes. Scoop the soft marrow into a warm bowl and divide it among the 8 warm toasts, spreading a thin layer over each. The 600 g pack includes the bones, so the amount of edible marrow will vary.
- 6
6. Finish and serve immediately
Scatter the fresh gremolata over the marrow. Taste one toast and add the remaining salt only as needed, since focaccia is already seasoned. Serve immediately, allowing 2 small toasts per person.
Chef's secret
Prepare the gremolata while the marrow roasts, but combine its ingredients only at the last moment. Freshly released lemon oils and finely chopped parsley cut through the richness without needing extra oil or butter.
Did you know?
Ossobuco literally refers to a bone with a hole—the marrow-filled centre of a cross-cut shank. These roasted marrow toasts echo its flavours, but they are not traditional ossobuco.
Common mistakes
- Treating the 600 g pack weight as edible marrow weight: most of that weight is bone, so plan small antipasto portions.
- Roasting until the bones are empty: check early, since prolonged cooking renders the marrow into liquid fat.
- Adding gremolata before roasting: heat dulls the parsley and lemon aromas that make the finish distinctive.
Storage & reheating
Best eaten immediately. If necessary, refrigerate cooked marrow separately from the toast and gremolata within 2 hours, in covered containers at 4°C or below, and use within 2 days. Reheat marrow in a covered ovenproof dish at 160°C until it reaches 75°C throughout. Re-crisp the focaccia separately at 180°C for 4–6 minutes and make fresh gremolata. Follow the chilled product’s use-by date before cooking.
Shop the recipe
Delivered across Hong Kong by SF Express or Lalamove.
FAQ
Is this a traditional Lombard antipasto?
It is a contemporary Lombardy-inspired antipasto using Italian ingredients and techniques. Traditional ossobuco alla milanese uses braised veal shanks; this recipe borrows its marrow richness and gremolata finish.
Do the marrow bones need soaking?
No overnight soak is required for this preparation. Remove any loose bone fragments, wipe and dry the bones, then roast. Keep the raw bones refrigerated until preparation.
Can I order the marrow and focaccia in Hong Kong?
Yes. The Italian Club Hong Kong offers the listed marrow and focaccia for delivery across Hong Kong via SF Express and Lalamove. Refrigerate the chilled marrow promptly on arrival and follow its label instructions.