Roasted Bone Marrow Toast with Red Onion Relish

This recipe and all the photos come from our friend Fati, who shares her home cooking as Fati’s kitchen. She makes these bone marrow toasts all the time, and kindly let us share her method here.

Roasted bone marrow toast sounds like restaurant food, but at home it takes almost no work: the oven does everything. The marrow turns soft and buttery, the garlic roasted next to it becomes sweet and spreadable, and a sharp red onion relish with fresh herbs and cayenne cuts through the richness.

What you need for bone marrow toast

• Beef marrow bones, cut crosswise. Ask your butcher; they are inexpensive.
• A whole head of garlic, roasted with the bones and spread on the toast.
• A baguette or any crusty bread, toasted in olive oil or butter.
• Red onion relish: red onion, cilantro and parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and a little olive oil.

How to make bone marrow toast

1. Season the bones. Rinse the bones, pat them dry and arrange them on parchment with a halved head of garlic in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a little salt and chili powder.

2. Roast. About 30 minutes at 400°F (200°C) is enough: the marrow should be soft and bubbling, just starting to pull away from the bone.

3. Toast the bread. Slice the baguette on a long diagonal and toast it in a skillet with a little olive oil or butter until golden.

4. Make the relish. Finely chop a red onion and mix it with chopped cilantro and parsley, a pinch of cayenne, salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

5. Assemble. Spread the soft roasted garlic on the toasts, add the relish, then scoop the hot marrow on top. Finish with thin slices of red onion and a pinch of cayenne.

Fati (@fati.in.paris)

Roasted Bone Marrow Toast with Red Onion Relish

Oven-roasted beef marrow spread on garlic-rubbed baguette toasts and topped with a fresh red onion, herb and cayenne relish. Recipe by Fati of Fati’s kitchen.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 to 5 servings

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Moroccan

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Roasted bone marrow

• 6 to 8 beef marrow bones cut crosswise, about 2 lb / 1 kg
• 1 head garlic halved crosswise
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper felfla soudania

Toasts

• 1 baguette
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

Red onion relish

• 1 red onion finely chopped, plus a few thin slices to garnish
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro and parsley finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

 

1. Rinse the marrow bones under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking dish with parchment paper and arrange the bones marrow side up, with the halved garlic head in the middle.
3. Drizzle the bones and garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and chili powder.
4. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the marrow is soft, bubbling and just starting to pull away from the bone. Thinner bones may be ready a few minutes earlier.
5. While the bones roast, slice the baguette on a long diagonal and toast the slices in a skillet with olive oil or butter until golden on both sides.
6. Make the relish: mix the chopped red onion, herbs, cayenne, salt and olive oil in a bowl.
7. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of its skin and spread it on the toasts (or use a little butter).
8. Spoon the relish over the toasts, then scoop the hot marrow out of the bones and spread it on top.
9. Finish with a few thin slices of red onion and a pinch of cayenne. Serve right away, while the marrow is warm.

Notes

Ask your butcher for beef marrow bones cut crosswise (2 to 3 inches tall) or lengthwise (“canoe” cut). Fati buys a large batch and keeps the raw bones in the freezer, so this is ready whenever she wants it.

The marrow is ready when it is soft and wobbly all the way through. Overcooked marrow melts into oil.

Watch Fati make bone marrow toast

Tips

• Don’t overcook the marrow. If it roasts too long it melts into fat and you lose the texture.
• Serve it hot. Marrow firms up as it cools, so assemble the toasts right before eating.
• Make it ahead. Keep raw marrow bones in the freezer; you can roast them straight from frozen, adding 5 to 10 minutes.
• Love roasted garlic? It’s also the star of our lemon garlic chicken, an easy weeknight dinner.

FAQ

Where do I buy marrow bones?
Most butchers sell them, often already cut. Look for beef shank or femur bones.

What does bone marrow taste like?
Rich, savory and buttery, a bit like very soft roasted beef fat. That’s why the sharp onion relish works so well with it.