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Recipe Detail Page
Veal Shanks with Green Olive Pesto
Autumn 2011
A version of osso bucco without a gremolata. Instead, a savoury, fragrant green olive pesto is scattered over the meat before serving. It adds enormous balance to the dish. One of my new go-to dishes when entertaining. Serve over polenta or risotto.
4 veal shanks, each 1½ inches (4 cm)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onions
1 cup (250 mL) chopped carrots
½ cup (125 mL) chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
1½ cups (375 mL) chopped canned tomatoes and their juice
2 cups (500 mL) chicken or veal stock
1 bay leaf
2 parsley stalks
¼ tsp (1 mL) chili flakes
GREEN OLIVE PESTO
½ cup (125 mL) chopped green olives
2 tbsp (30 mL) capers
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped red onion
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped parsley
1 tsp (5 mL) chopped garlic
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2 Season veal shanks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy, ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add shanks and brown well on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions, carrots, celery and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.
3 Pour in wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the base of the pot. Stir in tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, parsley and chili flakes and bring to boil. Return shanks to pot in a single layer. Liquid should come three-quarters of the way up the shanks. Add more stock if needed. Cover and bake for 1½ to 2 hours or until shanks are fork-tender.
4 For pesto, combine green olives, capers, red onion, parsley and garlic in a food processor and process until chunky. Stir in olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.
5 Remove shanks from liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. If sauce is too thin, bring to boil and reduce until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Place shanks in a serving dish, pour over sauce and scatter with pesto.
Serves 4
