Milanese braised veal shanks with gremolata (Ossobuco alla milanese)

1. Pat the veal shank slices dry and nick the membrane around the edge in 2-3 places so they don't curl while cooking; season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

2. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a wide heavy-based pan and brown the shanks for 3-4 minutes per side until golden; set aside on a plate.

3. In the remaining butter, soften the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes, adding the crushed garlic at the end.

4. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves.

5. Return the shanks in a single layer, cover and simmer over low heat (or in the oven at 160 °C) for 1.5-2 hours until the meat almost falls off the bone; baste now and then and add a little stock if needed.

6. For the gremolata, mix the lemon zest, finely chopped parsley and garlic and scatter it over the hot meat just before serving; serve with saffron risotto or creamy polenta.

Tip: The bone marrow is the treasure of the dish - put a small spoon on the side so everyone can scoop it out.