Twice Cooked Veal Shanks with Mushrooms & SagePrint Recipe

I am back in NYC and it is chilly to say the least. My holiday in Australia came to an abrupt end and we soon found ourselves on a plane, returning to the US and feeling a little gloomy having torn our daughters away from doting grandparents and cousins not to mention leaving our good friends after (far too) brief catch ups with so much left unsaid, solved, diagnosed and mused.

Whilst I was on the plane I was conjuring up images of exotic Summer dishes and cocktails fit for a lazy afternoon in the sun – but then I remembered I was flying into Winter and my first recipe should be something that was heart warming/belly warming and purely comforting.

So back to the kitchen I went – it had been weeks and it almost felt like unfamiliar territory. I found my pots and pans and went to work. The result was this wonderfully aromatic dish of veal, mushrooms and sage. It not only gave us the will to face the bitterly biting winds outside but also lulled us into a comforting food coma and we slept soundly throughout the night without the troubles of the jetlag that had plagued us for the two nights prior – purely sensational Winter food!

and before I forget – Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 brings love, happiness and peace to your lives. xx

Ingredients
2 large veal shanks, trimmed
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large stick of celery, roughly chopped
200 grams button mushrooms
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into chunks
50 grams butter
100 mls cream
1 cup breadcrumbs (fresh sour dough bread crumbs are the best)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
a big handful of fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper to season

Place the veal shanks in a stock pot with the quartered onion, chopped carrot and celery. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and keep simmering for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.

Remove from heat and cool. Drain the liquid into a saucepan removing any fat on the surface, discard the vegetables and set aside the meat. Turn the heat onto high and reduce the liquid to about 350mls.

Meanwhile, remove meat from shanks and tear into bite sized pieces. Fry mushrooms, garlic and onion in the butter until they have softened. Add the reduced stock and cream and simmer for two minutes.

Pour the mushroom mixture into an oven dish, with the meat scattered evenly throughout. Mix the parmesan, sage and breadcrumbs in a bowl to combine and sprinkle on top of meat and mushroom mixture – bake at 170c for 1 hour.

Serve with a salad and crusty bread (because believe me, the juices are out of this world!) – or a parmesan polenta for a really good Winter meal.

Sydney Morning Herald via Kim and Shane Flatman (who are inspiring on so many levels)

© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.