While I do realize that many of us are basking in the warm spring sunshine, I also know for positively sure that others of us, especially in remote rural areas, have been freezing our whiskers off the past couple of weeks. As in, at my house, the temperature’s been considerably below the freezing mark, morning after morning.
And it doesn’t warm up all that much, either, and then along comes a snappy, bone-chilling breeze. In other words, brrrrr.
So, whether you think the following excerpt (and recipe) is a hoot, a howl or a big hurray probably depends on where you live. It’s a press release from Randall PR, and it goes like this:
“As our beautiful Seattle spring gets under way, we’re already starting to think about returning indoors! We called our local chefs to ask them for their best fall recipes.
“After they finished laughing at us, they sent us their favorites, which ranged from Irish to Italian, from seafood to steak.”
Now for the above-mentioned recipe, a classic concocted by chef Mauro Golmarvi. Obviously, even if you’re sweating in the sun, instead of shivering around the wood stove, there’s no way you can resist jumping out to the kitchen to make:
4slices veal shank, each 2-inches thick, tied with kitchen string
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2cup all-purpose flour
2tablespoons unsalted butter
4tablespoons olive oil
1small yellow onion, finely chopped
2carrots, peeled and diced
2ribs celery, diced
1/2teaspoon grated lemon zest
1heaping tablespoon capers
2anchovy fillets in olive oil
1/4cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1cup red table wine
2cups meat broth (more if needed)
1can (28 ounces) tomatoes, peeled, quartered, seeded and smashed
Risotto
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Carefully wash veal under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, tapping off any excess.
Melt butter and olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish (4 by 10 by 12 inches) over gentle heat. Brown veal slices on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove veal slices and set aside. Increase heat to medium, add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add carrots and celery; cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree lemon zest, capers and anchovies in a food processor. A little olive oil can be added to make it smooth.
Return veal to the casserole. Sprinkle with anchovy puree and the parsley. Add wine, meat broth and tomatoes; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Liquid should come just to the top of the veal shanks. If necessary, add more broth. Cover dish with aluminum foil and braise in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting veal with sauce and turning occasionally, until it is tender. Serve casserole with risotto.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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