roasting bone marrow is about as straight forward as you can get when it comes to cooking. you simply soak the bones in salted water for at least 8 hours, changing the water a few times - each time adding salt. then it’s into the oven at 450 for 15 - 20 minutes. the marrow should be just soft and pulling away from the bone. timing here is essential, as you need to be very careful not to melt the marrow by leaving it in the oven too long. like i did. but i was drinking very good red wine - heavily - so i am not to be blamed…
still we were left with a few silky scoops and the marrow experience was just plain heaven.
roast marrow bones with parsley salad
(adapted from “the whole beast: nose to tail eating” by fergus henderson)about 2/3 cup very coarsely chopped italian parsley leaves
1 shallot - diced fine
1 garlic clove diced very fine
2 teaspoons small capers
3 tablespoons of your best olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
coarse sea salt, preferably fleur de sel, for garnishtoasted baguette slices
there are those who consider roasted marrow bones the better dish over foie gras. needless to say, they are two very different animals - and animal parts - for sure. the marrow seems earthier, deeper and more subtly powerful than the liver. you kinda wanna marry the marrow, but still have a steady string of flings with the foie.
either way, you’re gonna be one fat n’ happy puppy. this much i know is true…
(and for your viewing pleasure, please click over to this article which features a video of mark bittman, fergus and some damn fine looking marrow bones.)
23 responses so far ↓
1 amy @ minimally invasive // Mar 21, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Oh wow, this is just perfect. Mmmm….
2 Jennifer Hess // Mar 21, 2008 at 3:00 pm
One of the best things ever, and something we have yet to cook at home. Gorgeous!
3 Robert // Mar 21, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Fret,
Uh,…… bad news kid, the Foie was reading over my shoulder and is now incensed. I tried to switch screens, too late. Be very, very careful around it.
4 cookiecrumb // Mar 21, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Super easy!
Yours came out so pretty; mine got scorch marks on the bones (which, come to think of it, I rather liked).
5 Vincent // Mar 21, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Bourdain used this recipe in the book “My Last Supper” in which he describes it as his last meal wish on earth. The book is great - it has a pic of Fergus on the back holding a pig’s head - hehe. Your’s look great Claudia!
6 Mary Coleman // Mar 21, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Tell me, dearie, did we gnaw on the bones? Whilst we were drinking that very good red wine?
7 robin (caviar and codfish) // Mar 21, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Claudia you are always so “in” with all the fashionable foods! I’ve been hearing about marrow bones a lot lately but haven’t tried them yet. I’d bet I’d be more of a marrow girl than a foie gras girl.
8 Donald // Mar 22, 2008 at 1:43 am
Claudia, what kind of bones are those?
“but i was drinking very good red wine - heavily - so i am not to be blamed…”
Hmmmm…seems to me that I’ve been here before. It’s a timing issue…food getting done before I get done is usually a good thing.
Never even thought about eating bone marrow directly. I’ve let it melt out of shanks into a dish, but that’s about it.
9 ponyboat // Mar 22, 2008 at 6:00 am
Bones and bellies…
10 lifeinrecipes // Mar 22, 2008 at 6:52 am
I wasn’t sure what my aim would be this a.m. at the farmer’s market….now I know….will be looking for dem bones.
Lovin’ your blog.
Heidi
11 claudia // Mar 22, 2008 at 8:23 am
lifeinrecipes - lovin’ your comment! please report back on whatcha thought!
ponyboat - sounds like a bad country song…
donald - mine were beef. from the middle part of the leg. 3″ is the suggested size. veal is supposed to be the better way to go. but beef are fine.
robin - ya think? i’m just trying to make up for years of not paying close attention!
mary - ummm, errr - absolutely not!
vincent - i’ve got that book too and the pic of anthony makes my knees go weak.
cookie - precisely why i overdid mine. i kept expecting the bones to streak or change color. because i had no experience with what the hell i was doing!
robert - the marrow and i have an open relationship and i was very upfront and clear to the foie…
jennifer - go getcha some, girl!
amy - decadent, at the very least.
12 JAFAR // Mar 22, 2008 at 9:01 am
Looks lovely… Where pray tell did you get dem bones?
I went to 4 stores this week looking for the very same for stock.
13 claudia // Mar 22, 2008 at 9:49 am
JAFAR - I saw shorter ones at “publix”
- like an inch tall at the most - it’s my local supermarket -they just called them soup bones
but I got these at whole foods. it may not be something they have all the time so i’d just call them.
good luck!
14 Jessica // Mar 22, 2008 at 10:41 am
So you eat the bone marrow? like do you spread it on toast? What does it taste like? lots of question lol.
15 melissa // Mar 23, 2008 at 5:12 pm
once in a while, I see a post where I just have to say:
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2008/03/orlybaroo.html
huh. bone marrow. I had the marrow when I made the osso buco but it never occurred to me to make a meal out of it. as always, claudia, you make me want to try something new.
lots of wine… yeah, that effs things up a bit sometimes.
16 Peter // Mar 23, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I love marrow. Have you tried making dumplings with it, or using it as a ravioli filling? Or just rubbing it on someone you love?
17 Nina // Mar 24, 2008 at 7:20 am
I love the parsley salad idea, just to cut through the richness of the marrow. Lovely presentation…
18 claudia // Mar 24, 2008 at 9:51 am
nina - i was just doing what heston said to do… and boy is he ever right!
peter - I’ve (sadly?) passed the point of food as sex toy
but I have seen the dumpling/ravioli thing done
I wanna do it
like after I exercise for a month
melissa - do it cause it is delicious and SO easy… nice combo…
jessica - exactly! you got the idea down! just sprinkle with a very good sea salt and garnish with some italian parsley. on a baguette that you baked!
19 elzorro // Mar 24, 2008 at 10:38 am
claudiacita:
The Beloved just came back from a 10-day silent mediation retreat. I just showed her this blog entry, and her cannibal self came back with a vengeance.
I’m gonna have to go and score dem bones, ot at least a one-pound tenderloin.
20 J // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:21 pm
C — Sorry I’ve been such a slacker — marrow! Right from my youth, with my dad getting the most of it and my sister and me fighting over who got the bones to gnaw on. Thanks!
J
ps She usually won…..
21 mari // Mar 26, 2008 at 6:36 am
That’s one beautiful image Claudia!
22 Justin // Mar 31, 2008 at 5:40 am
Did you get “The Whole Beast” locally or did you have to order? I’ve been casually looking around and haven’t seen it “round these parts…
23 We Are Never Full // Apr 24, 2008 at 1:32 pm
i’m an idiot! how did i miss this! we are meant to be friends. I’m adding this to my post on Prune!! Inspiring!
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