The Bit Between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve

The Bit Between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve is quite an interesting time. You've enjoyed Christmas Day leftovers on Boxing Day, and now it's that in-between time. What's on the menu for tonight, a Friday night?

Well, my choice was whatever I could find in the freezer… shin of veal. And no, this isn’t Osso Buco; it's a shin of veal stew with chickpeas.

Here's the shin of veal recipe:

Ingredients:

• Shin of veal, dredged in flour, with a pinch of salt and black pepper
• Chickpeas, from a jar
• Tomatoes, from a tin
• Onion, sliced or chopped
• Carrot, chopped
• Celery stick, chopped
• Stock, homemade preferably
• Dry white wine
• Bay leaf
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• Pinch of celery seeds
• Gremolata, made with chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, and garlic

Method:

1. First, add a big glug of olive oil to a pan and warm over low to medium heat.
2. When hot, lower in the dredged shin of veal and brown on both sides. Once done, set aside.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and sauté until the mirepoix has taken on some colour.
4. Add in the bay leaf, chilli flakes, and celery seeds. Stir and cook for one minute.
5. Deglaze the pan with a big glug of wine.
6. Add the tomatoes and stir, breaking up the whole tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add chickpeas.
8. Add your stock of choice—mine was a combination of chicken and guinea fowl carcasses and bones. Cover everything by an inch or so and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to as low as it will go. Cover and leave for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the shin.
9. When done, the meat should be falling away from the bone, and the liquid should have thickened and reduced substantially.
10. To serve, scatter over the gremolata.

If it's proper osso buco you're after, I've made it two ways — the classic version and a simpler pan version with white beans and bay. This is neither. This is a shin of veal stew with chickpeas, made from whatever was in the freezer on a Friday night between Christmas and New Year.

This shin of veal recipe is part of my Beef & Veal Recipes collection — from slow braises and stews to quick weeknight beef dishes, all from Casa Adora.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef