Another cold, snowy day warranted some hearty food, so pasture-raised Veal shanks from the freezer got a good long braise in the dutch oven along with carrot, leek, onion, parsley, fennel seed, herbes de Provence, dried porcini, and red wine. Meanwhile, I steamed cubed turnip and daikon and whisked polenta with parmesan and pepper. I was trying to make two identical-looking creamy bases for the rich meat, but didn’t get the roots soft enough (even though I did match the colors pretty well.)
So the mashed parsnip mixture became quenelles instead, and the strained and reduced braising liquid became a sauce for all. Pea shoots wilted in a pat of butter with salt and lemon went on top. We drank a 2002 Fagus de Coto de Hayas Selección Especial old vine grenache that John brought for paella night but we didn’t get to. It has all the red fruit and tanginess you expect from grenache, with good depth and smooth tannins. New world style, but without the cloying sweetness; old vines and good winemaking make this well worth a try.
