Pink Veal in Pink Wine

(How gay can I get?)

This is my interpretation of the famous Milanese Ossobuco. I have swapped the white wine from the traditional recipe with a semi dry Rosé. I have been cooking with pink wine for the past few months where recipes call for white wine. The end result seems more balanced- white wine can sometimes taste too sour.
The traditional partnering for ossobuco is saffron risotto. With all the confident flavours of the braise, I think risotto becomes a bit misplaced. I prefer potato puree as an accessory. Playing on that theme, I have taken liberty to add saffron to the puree. The primrose hued puree looks wonderful on the plate alongside the orange of the carrot and green celery. Lots of pretty colours for the springtime!
This dish perfect right now while the weather is still cool at night. High quality pale veal is in abundance and available at the butchers at Prahran Markets, rather inexpensively I might add.

Components
1 kilo white veal ossobuco
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Flour
50g butter
50ml brandy
2 anchovy fillets
250 ml rose wine (not a sweet wine)
Stock (beef or chicken is fine)
Small carrots, peeled
Celery stalks, peeled to remove the strings
For the “gremolata”:
Orange zest, very finely chopped
Lemon zest, very finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Parsley leaves, very finely chopped

Process
Season the veal with salt and pepper, and dust lightly with flour.
Melt the butter in a pot large enough to fit the veal and brown the veal on all sides. Keep an eye on the butter- it must not burn.
Add the cognac and flambé (very spectacular).
Add the anchovies, wine, and enough stock to submerge the meat. Simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until tender. The meat should be extremely tender (and it will be, if it is genuine veal), but it shouldn’t be falling of the bones. Again keep an eye on it, and stop cooking before the moment. There is nothing worse than a pot of bones with pieces of veal floating about separately.
Gently remove the delicate veal to a plate and keep warm.
Add the carrots and celery stalks to the liquid in the pot and simmer until both are cooked to your liking- the carrot will take longer than the celery. Remove the veggies and keep warm with veal.
Boil the liquid in the pot until it has reduced to a glaze.
Whilst this is happening, mix citrus zests, garlic and parsley for the “gremolata”. I use less garlic than everything else (I’m not a fan of raw garlic).
Return the veal, veggies and a few spoonfuls of gremolata to the pot. Allow to heat through for a few moments.
Serve immediately with more gremolata sprinkled over and with saffron potato puree, or risotto as you wish. Serves 2-4 people.