Home cooking for the holiday season

Metro Creative Graphics

Home cooking is a big part of the holiday season, when families and friends gather around the dinner table with greater frequency than they might at other times of year. The convivial nature of holiday gatherings is made even warmer when families and friends break bread together, and this recipe for “Ossobuco con la Gremolata” from Lines+Angles is a delicious take on a classic dish from the Italian region of Lombardy.

Ossobuco con la Gremolata

Makes 6 servings

• 6 veal shanks, 2 inches thick, sawed through, including the bone marrow
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 28 ounces crushed Italian tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup veal or beef stock

For gremolata:

• 2 tablespoons flat Italian parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pinch saffron

1. Season the veal with salt and pepper. Dust the veal pieces with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the veal in the oil and butter for about 5 minutes on each side or until well browned. Transfer the veal shanks to a plate; set aside.

2. Add the onion, celery and carrots to the Dutch oven. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Continue cooking until the vegetables begin to brown, an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Place the veal shanks back in the pan. Add the wine, tomatoes, bay leaf, and stock. Cover and bring to a simmer; cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 60 to 90 minutes.

For gremolata:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

To serve: Divide veal shanks among plates. Sprinkle with gremolata.