Veal Shank Braised in White Sauce with Mushrooms

Serves 4

A blanquette is a white stew in which none of the ingredients, including the meat, are browned. It can be made with any number of meats, but is most famously prepared with veal. While I enjoy the flavor of a blanquette, I find the small cubes with which it’s made just don’t satisfy me. I’m also powerless to resist the temptation to brown any cut of meat once I get it into the pot. But I do love that white stew . . .

So, this recipe applies the flavors and textures of a blanquette de veau to osso buco, or center-cut veal shanks, the heartiest cut of veal known to man and the one used in the braised dish of the same name. The result is dramatically different from the traditional blanquette de veau, with a powerful contrast between the seared hunk of meat and the light, white sauce, which I’ve enriched here with the addition of porcini mushrooms and crème fraîche.

If you don’t have a cooking vessel large enough to hold four shanks, you can divide the ingredients between two smaller pots.

 

4 center-cut veal shanks (12 to 16 ounces each), tied firmly around the equator with kitchen string to keep them from falling apart when cooked (they may be sold this way)

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

³/₄ cup olive oil

2 stalks celery, cut into small dice

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into small dice

1 large leek, white part plus 1 inch green, cut into 1-inch pieces, washed well, and dried

¹/₂ large carrot, peeled and cut into small dice

8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 tablespoon green peppercorns packed in brine, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

1 cup dry white wine

²/₃ cup dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed, or dried black trumpet mushrooms

1 quart store-bought, reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade Chicken Stock

1 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the veal shanks liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in flour to coat them all over, pressing down a bit to ensure that the flour adheres to the meat. Shake off any excess flour.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the veal shanks to the pot and brown well on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (Kitchen tongs are ideal for turning the shanks.) Transfer the shanks to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the celery, onion, leek, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves to the pot. Cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the wine, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook, stirring, until nearly completely evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the porcini. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, skimming any scum that rises to the surface.

5. Return the shanks to the pot and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise until the shanks are fork-tender, 2 to 2¹/₂ hours. Every half hour, give the shanks a half-turn and check to be sure the liquid is simmering very gently; if it is bubbling rapidly, lower the oven temperature to 325°F.

6. Transfer the shanks to a cutting board; snip off and discard the kitchen string. Cover them with aluminum foil to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

7. Strain the sauce through a colander set over a large bowl. Discard the vegetables. You should have approximately 1 cup of slightly thickened, richly flavored sauce. If you have any more, return it to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, and reduce to thicken further and concentrate the flavors. Season with salt and pepper. If not serving immediately, let the sauce cool, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Wrap each shank in plastic wrap and refrigerate them as well. Reheat the meat on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler and the sauce over low heat on the stovetop before proceeding.

8. Whisk the crème fraîche and chives into the sauce.

9. To serve, place 1 veal shank in the center of each of 4 dinner plates and spoon some sauce over and around the shanks.

VARIATION

Small white mushrooms and pearl onions are the classic garnish for blanquette de veau. If you like, throw some of those into the cooking liquid during the last hour of cooking. You can also sprinkle chopped, fresh herbs such as parsley and thyme over the finished dish.