Roasting and long braising of meats fills the house with comforting aromas. Now that harvest and gardening are complete, there is time to linger awhile with meal making.
Risotto Milanese with veal shanks
Veal shanks are an inexpensive purchase at my local grocery store. I buy enough for a few meals and when I cook them up, I cook them all at the same time. Then I make freezer meals for later.
Veal is the meat from a calf, or young beef animal. In Canada, the law defines veal as the meat from any bovine animal that has a maximum carcass weight of 400 pounds. Veal calves typically reach that weight at five to sixth months.
For the veal shanks:
- 6 1-to 1-1/2-inchthick pieces vealshanks 2.5 – 3 cm
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 c. all-purpose flour 250 mL
- 1/4 c. olive oil, plus more if needed 60 mL
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 2 medium carrots, minced
- 1 celery rib, minced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 28 fl. oz. can peeled whole tomatoes, seeded and drained, tomato flesh crushed by hand
- 1 c. dry white wine 250 mL
- 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C). Season veal shanks all over with salt and pepper.
Add flour to a shallow bowl or plate.
In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Working in batches, lightly dredge shanks all over in flour, shaking off excess, and add to Dutch oven.
Cook shanks, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides, about four minutes per side.
Be careful not to over brown. Lower heat as necessary at any point to prevent scorching. Transfer browned shanks to a plate and repeat with remaining shanks. Add more oil to Dutch oven as necessary.
Add more oil to Dutch oven, if necessary, along with onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until vegetables are softened and just starting to turn a light golden colour, about six minutes.
Add tomatoes, wine and stock to Dutch oven, along with veal shanks and any accumulated juices. Arrange the shanks in an even layer. A little overlap is OK to make them fit. The liquid should nearly but not totally cover the shanks. If it doesn’t, add more stock or water until it does. Bring to a simmer.
Cover shanks with lid and transfer to oven. Cook for two hours.
Remove lid from shanks and continue cooking until they are fork-tender, about one hour longer. If the pot becomes too dry, add more stock or water as needed to keep it moist. Evaporation and reduction are good, but the pot shouldn’t go dry. Feel free to move the shanks around so that any that are submerged can be exposed to the oven air.
Carefully transfer shanks to a platter. Using a spatula and tongs together can help prevent them from falling apart.
Using a spoon, carefully scoop up any excess fat on surface of braising juices and discard. The liquid should be saucy and thick. You can adjust the consistency by adding either water or stock to thin the sauce, or simmering it on the stovetop until more fully reduced. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve veal on a bowl of risotto, spooning braising sauce on top.
Risotto Milanese
I never measure when I make risotto. After making it a few times you won’t need a recipe.
- 6 c. chicken stock 1.5 L
- 1 tbsp. saffron threads 15 mL
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter 45 mL
- 2 small yellow onions, minced
- 2 c. Arborio rice 500 mL
- 1 c. dry white wine 250 mL
- 1/2 c. grated Parmesancheese 125 mL
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,to taste
Heat stock and saffron in a two-quart (two litre) saucepan over medium heat and keep warm.
Heat butter in a four-quart (four litre) saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onions. Cook until soft, about four minutes.
Add rice. Cook until lightly toasted, about four minutes.
Add wine. Cook until evaporated, about two minutes.
Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about two minutes.
Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time, and cooking until absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender and creamy, about 16 minutes total. Be sure to keep the rice creamy and don’t let it become thick or dry. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Lentil gravy
The gravy is so good and another way to sneak a few lentils into the meal plan. Cooking the lentils separately and discarding the cooking water will remove some of the aftertaste that many don’t like.
- 1/2 c. green lentils 250 mL
- 3 bay leaves
- 3/4 c. carrots, diced 175 mL
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tbsp. canola oil 30 mL
- 2 c. chicken stock,divided 500 mL
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch 30 mL
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 2 mL
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Boil lentils in plenty of salted water with bay leaves until tender. Drain and reserve lentils. Discard bay leaves.
In a medium-sized saucepan sauté carrots, celery and onion in canola oil until tender.
Add cooked lentils and continue to sauté until everything is just starting to brown.
Add 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of chicken stock and simmer. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) of cold chicken stock with cornstarch and add to the pan. Stir until thickened. For a thicker gravy use more cornstarch.
Serve with baked ham, roasted pork or chicken or potatoes.
Roasted Half Chicken with Onions and Apples
I buy my chickens from a Hutterite colony. They arrive freshly butchered, so before I freeze them, I cut some into pieces or halves and I leave one whole for roasting. This method of starting with a cold pan produces crispy skin.
- 1/2 chicken
- canola oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- apples, cored and sliced
- onions, sliced
- carrots, quartered and cut into 2 inchlengths 5cm
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).
Season chicken generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Place chicken in a cold cast iron pan that has enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom. Turn on the heat to medium high.
Once the pan has heated, start watching the chicken so it doesn’t burn. Keep the heat just high enough to make the oil sizzle. Cook until the chicken skin is browned. Remove chicken from pan.
Add enough sliced onions, apples and carrots to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the vegetables.
Place in the oven and cook until done, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve immediately.
Using The Garden Harvest
Harvesting the garden and storing the produce for the winter months are common fall activities. Most families have favourite recipes that are particularly enjoyed when made with freshly harvested fruit and vegetables.
We would love to share your family’s favourites. Please send them to Harvest Favourites at team@producer.com or mail them to:
The Western Producer,
1000–3530 Millar Avenue,
Saskatoon, SK S7P 0B6
All entries must be received by November 8, 2021.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
