As Fergus Henderson puts it, marrow is "the inside of the leg bones of a veal".  And it's one of those foods (like sea urchin) that are so full of flavor, that it deserves minimal treatment. It's excellent every single time.

These marrow bones are from Dickson's Farm Stand Meats in the Chelsea Market.

These are cut widthwise, but I think we prefer it when the bones are cut lengthwise. The marrow is easier to get at.

All you need to do is season the bones with liberal amounts of coarse salt and pepper. Either throw them in an 500 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or give them 10 minutes at 400 degrees and then a nice broil.

Serve with a chopped salad with some citrus, and slices of baguette that have been rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and toasted in the oven until crisp.

Recipe: Bone Marrow with Toast

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1 section bone marrow
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 baguette, sliced into thin rounds
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub the garlic onto the bread rounds. Drizzle with olive oil. Transfer  the bread to the oven for ten minutes or until crispy. Reserve.
Turn the oven to broil. Place the marrow bone in the oven for ten minutes. Season the marrow with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes or until very, very brown and fragrant.