Fit for Company, Great Leftovers, Rewarms Well, Two-for-One

Tender baby artichokes are just right with veal. Crème fraîche adds richness, while lemon zest, parsley, and chives give the stew a bright, fresh finish.

Serves 4, with leftovers

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 pounds osso buco (veal shanks cut into 2-inch-thick rounds)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice
• 1 celery stalk, cut into ¾-inch dice
• 4 large shallots, quartered
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts, cut into ¾-inch-wide pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 12 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• About 4 cups homemade veal stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 baby artichokes
• 7 ounces crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Sprinkle the osso buco with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the veal in the pot and brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and set aside.
3. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pot and add the carrots, celery, shallots, leek, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaves into a bundle with twine and drop them into the pot.
4. Place the veal back in the pot and add enough stock to come halfway up the meat. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and place in the oven. Cook, turning the osso buco every 30 minutes, and checking to make sure that the liquid is just simmering. After 1½ hours, check for tenderness. If the meat yields very easily to the tip of a knife, it is done; taste a bit to make sure. If not tender, continue to cook, checking every 30 minutes. The cooking time may be as much as 2½ hours total. (You can make the osso buco up to this point and refrigerate overnight.)
5. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil. Cut the baby artichokes in half and check to see that there are no fuzzy chokes. If there are, carefully scoop them out with a grapefruit spoon or cut them out with the point of a paring knife. Drop the artichokes into the boiling water and cook until barely tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, plunge into a bowl of ice water until cool, and then drain well and set aside.
6. When the veal shanks are tender, carefully transfer them to a large platter. Fish out the herb bundle and discard. Strain the braising liquid into a deep 3-quart saucepan, pressing down on the solids. (Save ½ cup vegetables if you want to make the ravioli; see Cook’s Notes.) Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce to about 2½ cups. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Bring back to a gentle simmer and reduce again, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Return the shanks to the pot.
7. Add the artichokes, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat until the shanks and artichokes are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the shanks and artichokes to a large shallow serving bowl and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the chives.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• You can make this recipe as a pot roast using a 3- to 4-pound boneless veal shoulder roast, a veal 7-bone blade roast (the cooking time may be less than for shanks), or a 5- to 6-pound bone-in veal breast.

COOK’S NOTE:

• Serve with a wide, flat noodle such as pappardelle, tossed with a little of the sauce, or serve with mashed potatoes.
• In place of the baby artichokes, you can use 3 large artichokes. Remove the outer leaves until you reach the pale green leaves, trim and peel the stems, and place in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon until you need them. When ready to use, cut them into quarters and scoop out the chokes. Boil for 6 to 8 minutes and proceed with step 5.
• If you wish to make the Veal Shank Ravioli, save ½ cup of the smashed cooked vegetables from the cooking liquid, along with 1 cup diced meat and 2 tablespoons sauce.