Braised Veal Shanks with Red Wine Sauce
	2 cups    dried fruits (prunes, apricots, figs)   1 cup    port   8   veal shanks (40mm thick)   .5 cups    plain flour   .25 cups    extra-virgin olive oil   .5 cups    onions (finely diced)   .5 cups    carrots (finely diced)   .5 cups    celery (finely diced)   1 Tbs    garlic   1 tsp    thyme   1 cups    almonds (blanched, whole)   2 cups    red wine   4 cups    chicken stock   4 cups    couscous     1 In a small bowl, marinade the dried fruit, with enough port to cover, overnight. Dust the shanks with flour. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 200°C degrees. In a large oven-proof roasting pan, heat the olive oil. Brown the shanks on both sides. Do not crowd the pan, browning in batches if necessary. 2 Add the vegetables, garlic, thyme, almonds, dried fruit and marinating liquid. Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil. Turn the flame to medium and reduce the sauce by half. (The length of time depends upon the size of the pan.) Pour in enough stock to cover the shanks and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven, and cook until the shanks are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the shanks and keep warm. Reduce the sauce just until it thickens. Correct seasoning to taste and return the shanks to the pan. 3 Divide amongst the containers, cool in the refrigerator and then transfer to the freezer. 4 Defrost well before reheating gently in a moderate-slow oven for 30-45 minutes. Cook couscous according to packet directions. 5 Mound couscous in the centre of heated plates. Top with one veal shank and spoon sauce over, including some almonds and fruit. Serve immediately.   Servings: 8   Copyright © 2006, The Gourmet Saint