Italy is not far from Lebanon; to say that the Lebanese love Italian cuisine is stating the obvious. Osso bucco or lasagne verde  was served at  sidewalk cafés in Beirut as far back as I remember. The Italian influence was not even  limited to food, since even centuries ago Italian architects and decorators were commissioned by local princes and sheikhs  to design palaces and mansions.

 All of this to say that I could not imagine living without the occasional Italian dish, like osso bucco on a cold winter night.

Found a huge cookbook in my parents’ library, Ada Boni’s Il Talismano de Felicità; well, I was surprised to find that theirs does not call for tomatoes and is simply veal shanks braised in wine and broth and the final stir of flavor is adding chopped parsley, lemon peel, garlic and a bit of anchovy. And plenty of butter.

This recipe has tomato sauce as well as wine and some onion, celery and carrots. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 thick veal shanks (with bones)
• flour, as needed
• oil, as needed (or clarified butter)
• 1 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 2 cups of  chopped tomatoes (peeled and seeded) or tomato sauce (optional)
• 1 cup of chopped onion, carrot and celery
• 1 tbsp of mashed garlic
• 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
• rind of a lemon or orange (or a mixture of both)
• 1 tbsp of anchovy paste (optional)

1. Season the veal shanks and dip them in flour; heat some oil and brown the shanks on all sides. Set aside. Fry  the onion, celery and carrots till soft. Place the veal shanks back in the pot and pour the white wine, scraping the pot. Let the wine reduce by at least half or entirely and add the optional tomato sauce. Let the stew simmer very gently for at least one hour or longer, until the shanks are tender.
2. A few minutes before the end of cooking, add the garlic , parsley, rind of lemon and anchovy and swirl it around to distribute the flavor. Serve the shanks with buttered pasta, a risotto or boiled potatoes.

This is a medieval Iraqi recipe dug up by  Mrs. Nasrallah in her book Delights from the Garden of Eden. Very simple to put together: The lamb shanks are browned then braised over gentle heat in a sauce of citrus juice and a medley of vegetables and spices.

This recipe would work really well in a crockpot.

Serve with rice, any grains or just some bread. I added potatoes fried in duck fat with a touch of garlic.

I adapted the recipe (added some sugar to the sauce) to make it more palatable to my tasters (Mary, my neighbor and Alice, my daughter); there is a lebanese tradition of cooking meat in citrus sauce (called arnabiyeh) but it is a bit of an acquired taste.

This dish tastes better the next day.

INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings

• 2 pounds of lamb shanks
• 1 large onion
• 4 to 6 carrots, shredded or sliced
• 3 zucchinis, shredded or sliced
• 1/4 cup of cut-up apricots (dried)
• 1 cup of fresh orange juice
• juice of one lemon
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar or honey or maple syrup (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and mashed in a mortar with a dash of salt
• Spices: 1 tsp ground anise, 1 tsp. coriander, 1 tsp. of turmeric, 1/2 tsp. of cumin, 1/2 tsp. of cardamom, 1 1/2 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, dash of chili pepper or smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp. of flour
• oil, as needed

METHOD:

1. Sprinkle the anise on the shanks and coat in flour; heat oil in a pan and brown the shanks evenly. Chop the onions and fry in the oil, adding more if needed. Add the garlic and all the spices. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes then add the carrots, zucchini, apricots and stir-fry for a few minutes.
2. Juice the oranges and lemon and add the juice to the pot along with the shanks and three cups of water. Cover and simmer the shanks for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is so tender it falls off the bone. Remove the bone, cartilage and visible fat and cut the meat into small chunks. Serve the stew with rice, or any other starch.

Living in Los Angeles and Orange County allowed me to meet and befriend Persians and fall in love with Persian cuisine. It is a refined and exquisite cuisine  and one from which there is much to learn.

The easiest introduction to Persian cuisine is through the rich and varied khoresh or stews. Just as in Lebanese cuisine, every vegetable under the sun is showcased in these stews but what sets Persian cuisine apart is the unabashed use of fruits as well. Sweet and savory are combined in a subtle way that enchants the palate.

Here, butternut and prunes are simmered slowly in a sweet citrus sauce. The meat used can be veal or beef or lamb or chicken indifferently. Saffron is always added to add another layer of unmistakably Persian flavor.

This recipe is inspired by Najmieh Batmanglij Food of Life.

INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces (thighs or drumsticks)
• 2 onions
• 1 pound of butternut pieces
• 1 cup of seedless prunes
• 1 cup of lime or orange juice
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2  tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of saffron
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil or butter as needed

METHOD:

1. Brown the chicken pieces in a little oil; chop the onions and brown them as well. Add 2 cups of water to the pan, salt, pepper and cinnamon and cover the lid and bring to a simmer; simmer the chicken and onions gently for 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, heat a little butter or oil and stir-fry the butternut pieces for 10 minutes over gentle heat. Add to the chicken and onions and add the prunes; add the lime or orange juice, sugar and saffron. Simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes more. Taste to adjust seasoning and serve warm with basmati rice.

Whenever I meet Lebanese expats I hear them  fondly  mention the yakhneh (stew) of their mother or grandmother. There is a huge portion of the Lebanese culinary repertoire dedicated to these yakhneh, encompassing every vegetable under  the sun and almost always with the same basic  formula: a stock made of lamb shanks (or shoulder cuts), a final flavoring of a garlic and cilantro pesto or mint pesto  and rice as an accompaniment to the stew. We had them several times a week at  home, with different vegetables. Unlike stews in the West which comprise a medley of vegetables, stews in Lebanese cuisine showcase one vegetable, such as spinach yakhneh, or green bean yakhneh, or okra or bean or zucchini, the list endless.

This one with peas and carrots is  an exception to the rule because both are given importance and the final addition of a cilantro pesto the last minute of cooking gives this dish a fantastic flavor. It has been a favorite with my kids throughout their childhood. As usual with Lebanese meals it takes several steps  and can be prepared in advance and frozen to be enjoyed later. I usually make a large quantity and freeze half of it.

Steps for making the stew or yakhneh:

1. Making the stock with lamb shanks
2. Adding the vegetable (s)
3. Making the pesto (aliyyeh)
4. Make the rice

Making the stock: The day before.

Ingredients: This quantity will yield 8 servings

• 3 lamb shanks as well as some lamb bones if available
• Spices: 1 teaspoon of  salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of allspice
• A bay leaf, one large onion, a few sprigs of parsley.

Method:

1. Wash and dry the shanks and sprinkle with all the spices.
2. Heat a large soup pot and brown the shanks on all sides, about 15 minutes.
3. Add enough water to cover the shanks and to reach within two inches of the top  of the pot.
4. Throw in a bay leaf, an onion, a few sprigs of parsley and cover the pot. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer gently for at least one hour  until the shanks are falling off the bone. If you see froth  at the beginning of cooking, remove it with a spatula.
5. Remove the shanks and place on a large plate. Remove and discard  the skin, filaments and  bones. Gently break apart large meat  pieces and place them in a plate to be added to the stew later. Cover the plate.
6. Strain the stock into a large bowl with a cover and place the bowl in the fridge for a few hours until the fat has congealed on the surface and can be removed.
7. Remove the fat and discard.

Making the stew:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bag of frozen sweet peas (or fresh peas)
• 1 pound bag of carrots, peeled and chopped in small pieces
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

Method:

1. Heat the lamb stock to the boiling point. Add the tomato pasta and stir a bit to dilute.
2. Add the carrots and cook in the stock until they are done, about 20 minutes or more.
3. Add the peas and cook a few minutes longer.
4. Add the pieces of lamb shanks and heat the stew for a couple of minutes. Cool.

Making the cilantro pesto:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed, dried, leaves plucked and chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, mashed in a mortar with a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil or clarified butter in a small skillet.
2. Add the cilantro and garlic to the skillet and stir for 1 minute until both become a compact mass.
3. When the fragrance reaches your nostrils, about 30 seconds later, turn off the heat and swirl into the stew. You can start with half the quantity if your are squeamish about too much garlic or throw in the whole paste. It freezes well in a small container, covered with olive oil.

Making the rice with vermicelli:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup of vermicelli noodles
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of clarified butter
• salt, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse the rice and place in a bowl with water to cover and a pinch of salt. Let it soak for 30 minutes or longer. Change the water 2 or 3 times.
2. Heat the butter in a pot and add the vermicelli noodles. Stirring frequently, let the noodles take on a nice brown color. Now, drain the rice and add it to the pot, stirring the grains until they get coated with butter.
3. Add the water with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
4. Cover the pot and cook on low heat  for 15 minutes until the rice is tender. Fluff it up and serve with the stew.

NOTE:

A lot of people like to add tomatoes or tomato paste to this stew. It is usually added alongside the carrots. I read a recipe in Anissa Helou’s book Lebanese Cuisine in which she foregoes the cilantro pesto and adds instead the peel of an orange and the peel of a lemon (sort of like the seasoning for osso bucco) which sounds delicious too!