Ossobuco with Tuscan-style bean and fennel ragout

Ossobuco with Tuscan-style bean and fennel ragout

Photograph by James Carrier

SERVES 4
TIME 3 1/4 to 3 3/4 hours

Ingredients

4 lbs. veal shanks, cut into 2- to 3-in. lengths*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head fennel (about 3 1/2 in. wide)
1 onion (about 8 oz.), chopped
2/3 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup diced celery
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Gremolata (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Sprinkle veal shanks all over with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, trim stalks from fennel; chop 1 tbsp. feathery leaves (reserve for Gremolata). Trim root end and any bruised areas from head. Quarter lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Mix fennel, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic with oil to coat.

3. Turn shanks. Distribute vegetables around them. Bake until shanks are well browned and vegetables are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Add broth, wine, tomato paste, and sage; stir to mix and scrape browned bits free. Cover pan tightly with foil. Reduce heat to 325°. Bake until meat is very tender when pierced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Increase heat to 400°.

4. Uncover pan and stir beans into sauce around shanks. Bake, uncovered, until bean mixture is simmering and slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes longer.

5. Spoon osso buco and ragout into 4 wide, shallow bowls. Sprinkle with Gremolata. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

*Buy the veal shanks cut into lengths or have them cut at the meat market.

PER SERVING 465 cal., 19% (89 cal.) from fat; 52 g protein; 9.9 g fat (2.4 g sat.); 41 g carbo (14 g fiber); 614 mg sodium; 124 mg chol.

Gremolata
In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp. minced parsley, 1 tbsp. minced fennel greens (see Osso Buco; recipe precedes), 1 tsp. grated lemon peel, and 1 minced garlic clove.