Ossobuco – veal shank in white wine

Ingredients:

• 3 whole veal shanks (about 1 pound each), trimmed
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• Premium flour for dusting
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced into 1cm cubes.
• 1 small carrot, cut into 1cm cubes.
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1cm cubes.
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• Additional equipment: Cheesecloth, kitchen string to tie up herbs and meats

Preparation:

1. Place rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.
2. Pat the veal shanks dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Dry meat will cook better. Tie with kitchen twine, pressing the meat tightly to the bone. Sprinkle each shanks with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a large cauldron until it begins to smoke. Place the trussed veal shanks in the hot pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the cauldron and set aside.
4. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the same pot. Season immediately with salt to help draw out the moisture. Sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Return the fried drumsticks to the pot, add the white wine, and reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Check every 15 minutes, turning the drumsticks and adding more chicken broth as needed. The liquid level should always come 3/4 of the way up the drumsticks.
6. Carefully remove the cooked drumsticks from the pan and place them on a decorative serving platter. Cut the kitchen twine and discard. Remove the bouquet garni from the sauce.
7. Pour all the sauce from the pan over the drumsticks. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and lemon zest.