Veal Osso Buco with Spring Vegetables and Sage

Ingredients

• 4 Quebec Veal shanks, about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) thick
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Zest of one orange
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) rutabagas or turnips, finely diced
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) leek whites, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 175 ml (2/3 cup) white wine*
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) vegetable broth
• 20 small pearl onions, poached for 1 minute and peeled
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 5 to 6 asparagus spears, cut into small pieces
• 4 to 5 whole sage leaves
• 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Curly parsley for serving and a few radishes fried in butter (optional)

*You can replace white wine with:

• 80 ml (1/3 cup) chicken broth
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar
• 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
2. Rub the veal shanks with the orange zest.
3. Place flour in a soup plate. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge shanks in flour.
4. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter with oil and brown veal shanks for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet.
5. In the same skillet, over medium heat, add remaining butter.
6. Sauté rutabagas, leeks, carrots and garlic for 4 minutes.
7. Deglaze with white wine and orange juice and simmer until liquid is almost completely evaporated.
8. Add shanks and cover with vegetable stock.
9. Add sage, thyme, bay leaves and pearl onions.
10. Cover and continue cooking in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat falls off the bone easily.
11. Add peas and asparagus. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
12. Adjust the seasoning and serve with a few leaves of curly parsley and radishes fried in butter.