Slow-cooked veal shanks with braised artichokes

Serves 4

Veal shanks are both impressive when they arrive at the table and meltingly good. We serve this dish with roast potatoes or greens or beans and then we lace the dish with lashings of olive oil.

4 veal shanks (ask your butcher)
1tbsp olive oil
400ml/14fl oz white wine
2 jars of good-quality tomatoes
The peel of one lemon
1 bunch of sage
3 fresh bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 dried chilli, crumbled
600ml/20fl oz veal or chicken stock
12 artichokes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 189C/350F/Gas 4.

Season the shanks on both sides. Place a casserole dish over a medium heat and pour in the oil. When hot, add the shanks and brown well on both sides – it will take around six minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and pour off any fat. Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with the wine – it should reduce by about a third. Add the tomatoes, lemon, sage, bay, garlic and chilli and stir. Pour in the stock and return the meat. Put a lid on, and cook in the oven for two hours, checking every now and then that there is plenty of liquid.

Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes as described in the introduction (page 46). Place each one in acidulated water as you go. Remove the veal from the oven and add the artichokes. Cover and return for 30 minutes or until both the meat and the artichokes are tender. Season and serve.