BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH APRICOT ORANGE AND FENNEL

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH APRICOT ORANGE AND FENNEL image

Yield 12 people

Number Of Ingredients 18

12 veal shanks (osso buco), about 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large red onions, diced
4 carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fennel bulb, diced, fronds chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
6 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2/3 cup dried apricots, sliced
Kasha pilaf, for serving (optional).

Steps:

  • 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat shanks dry with paper towels and season very liberally with salt and pepper. 2. Place a large, heavy roasting pan across two stove-top burners over high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add veal and sear until well browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer veal to a platter. If pan looks dry, add another tablespoon of oil, and onion, carrots, celery, garlic, diced fennel bulb, ½ teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper. Sauté over medium heat until onions are translucent and tender, 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to sauté for 2 minutes longer. 3. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Let simmer for 2 minutes, then add broth and simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Stir in orange juice, anchovies (if using), sage, thyme, bay leaf, half the apricots and 2 tablespoons fennel fronds. Nestle meat into vegetable mixture and pour in any meat juices from platter. Cover pan with foil, leaving a corner turned up so some steam can escape, and braise in oven for about 2 hours, turning shanks two or three times as they cook. 4. When meat is quite tender, transfer it to a platter (on top of hot kasha if desired). Cover with foil to keep warm. Remove bay leaf from pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about a third of the vegetables to a blender or food processor and purée. 5. Add purée back to pan juices. Add remaining apricots and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings. Spoon sauce over meat, and serve garnished with more fennel fronds.

There are no comments yet!