Veal Osso Buco à la Provençale

Pat the veal shanks completely dry with paper towels — residual moisture prevents proper browning. Season generously on all sides with sea salt and black pepper, then dust lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.

Prepare the soffritto ingredients: finely dice the fennel bulb, onion, and carrots; mince the garlic; chop the anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes; crush the canned tomatoes by hand; tie the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves into a bouquet garni with kitchen twine.

Place a large, heavy-based Dutch oven or cast-iron casserole over high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and heat until the butter foam has subsided and the fat shimmers. Sear the veal shanks in a single layer, undisturbed, for 4-5 minutes per side until a deep mahogany crust forms. Work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Transfer the shanks to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the fennel, onion, and carrots to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Add the garlic, anchovies, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the anchovies have dissolved and the mixture is fragrant.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until it darkens to a brick-red colour and begins to stick slightly to the base of the pot.

Pour in the white wine and scrape up all the caramelised bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble vigorously for 3-4 minutes until reduced by half and the alcohol smell has cooked off.

Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, veal stock, orange and lemon zest strips, and the bouquet garni. Stir to combine, then return the seared shanks to the pot, nestling them in a single layer and spooning some of the braising liquid over them. The liquid should come roughly two-thirds of the way up the shanks.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and braise for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Uncover the pot and check that the veal is very tender — the meat should be yielding and pulling away from the bone. Use a meat thermometer to confirm an internal temperature of at least 90-95°C for full collagen breakdown and tenderness; the minimum safe temperature for veal is 63°C, but osso buco demands the higher heat for proper texture.

Stir in the Niçoise olives and capers and braise uncovered for a further 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and clings to the back of a spoon.

While the sauce reduces, combine all the gremolata ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove and discard the bouquet garni and the zest strips. Remove the kitchen twine from the shanks. Taste the braising sauce and adjust salt if needed.

Plate each shank with a generous ladle of braising sauce spooned over the top. Finish with a heaped tablespoon of Provençal gremolata and a scatter of the reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately with creamy polenta, crusty sourdough, or steamed white beans.