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.

Ossobuco braised with Tomatoes and White Wine

Traditionally, ossobuco is braised without tomatoes. If one is cooking ossobuco with tomatoes then it is incorrect to call it “Ossobuco alla Milanese” So for this reason I have refrained from naming today’s recipe as such.
This is the first time I have actually cooked my ossobuco with tomato. I usually do mine “in bianco” , that is, without tomato. I wanted to try it because it seems to be the most popular way to do it here in Australia. I did enjoy it this way, but I do prefer the traditional Milanese way - braised simply with dry white wine and finished with gremolata. It’s a more elegant approach to a delicate meat like veal. Tomato seems to mask its delicate flavour.
I also did as most Aussie restaurants do and served my tomato braised ossobuco with Risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto). I think that was a mistake to do so. The two simply clashed! Tomatoes are just too assertive a flavour to complement the perfumed fragrance of saffron. Pureed potato or soft polenta would have been a better match. Oh well, live and learn!

Ingredients
1 kg veal ossobuco
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
250ml white wine
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped
Zest from 1 lemon, in large strips
A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

For the gremolata
Finely chopped lemon zest, garlic and parsley

Method
In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and flour. Use this flour to lightly coat the pieces of ossobuco. You may need more or less flour, depending on the size of the meat.
In a wide and deep saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary for 15 minutes or until the onion has softened. Remove the onion to a small plate.
Add a touch more oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add the ossobuco to the pan in a single layer and cook for 1 minute each side, just enough to seal and lightly colour the meat. Remove the meat to a plate.
Throw the wine into the pan and deglaze, stirring and scraping to dissolve any caramelization on the base of the pan. Add the strips of lemon zest and the chopped tomatoes.
Return the meat and onion to the saucepan.
Add water (or stock), to barely cover the meat. Bring the stew to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. If you can be bothered, remove the strips of lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For the gremolata: Chop the lemon zest, garlic and parsley to a very fine powder. I use more parsley than lemon, and garlic the least. But compose your gremolata to suit youself. It should be prepared just before using, as parsley loses its fragrance within minutes.
Sprinkle over the ossobuco.
Enough for 2 or 3 serves.

Speedy Ragu

My favorite dish to cook and eat is Ragu alla Bolognese. I adore this rich meat sauce but there are times when I simply don’t have the time to make it. So, rather than deny myself the ultimate comfort meal, I have devised a shortcut recipe, which delivers all of the flavors that one expects from a classic ragu.
In this version, the sauce will be ready in 40 minutes rather than two hours. The secret is to use dried porcini mushrooms. This magic ingredient provides a savory depth of flavor, which mimics that of a long and slow stew. The mushrooms are chopped finely, so as the creamy sauce simmers away, they melt, imparting a deep earthy fragrance.
Porcini are notorious for harboring dirt. It is of great importance to inspect and rinse each piece of mushroom separately under a running tap. I once ordered “tagliatelle con porcini” in a restaurant, and much to my disappointment I was presented with a plate of dirty pasta. Literally! There is also the chance of finding insect larvae. I have encountered these vile tiny pests only once, and unfortunately the only solution here is to discard them
Porcini range in price, per kilo, from around AU$170 for trimmings, to AU$500 for meaty slices. For this recipe the cheaper trimmings are fine.

Ingredients
30g dried porcini
500ml stock (fake is fine)
15g butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
100g pancetta, finely chopped
20g red onion, finely chopped
20g carrot, finely chopped
20g celery, finely chopped
200g minced veal
200g minced pork
5 chicken livers, cleaned and finely chopped
125ml white wine
Freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
125ml tomato passata
125 ml cream (35% milk fat)
1 fresh bay leaf
5ml balsamic vinegar
Freshly grated parmagiano or grana

Method
Soak the porcini with enough boiling water to just cover. Allow the mushroom slices to soften for about 15 minutes and then drain. Strain the soaking liquid through a layer of paper napkin. Reserve the strained liquid. Inspect the mushroom pieces for insect infestation and rinse each piece thoroughly under a running tap to remove dirt. Chop the porcini finely.
Over a low heat, sauté the pancetta, onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn up the heat and add the veal, pork and livers. Cook the meat for a few minutes, until it loses the raw pink color. Do not brown.
Add the wine, nutmeg, tomato, cream, bay leaf and porcini liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes..
Turn of the heat and add salt, pepper and the balsamic vinegar. Finish with a sprinkling of cheese, melting it into the sauce.
Toss with tagliatelle or a short pasta such as orrechiette. Makes enough for about 400g of pasta asciutta.

Carrot Puree for Veal Schnitzel

Veal Schnitzel and carrot puree sounds like a strange combination, but it really works and I love it. This puree is more fluid than usual and it is meant to be served as a sauce to dip your schnitzel into, rather than a solid vegetable puree.
I am not going to give a schnitzel recipe here, but I like to coat my veal steaks in a mixture of seasoned flour and mustard powder, egg and Japanese breadcrumbs. I fry them in peanut oil until golden and give them a quick drain on paper towels.

Ingredients
300g carrot
200g dutch cream potato (or other suitable mashing potato)
1 clove of garlic
300ml vegetable stock (fake is fine)
1 tsp cumin
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
3 heaped tbsp cream (35% fat)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25 ml lemon juice (or to taste)
Fresh chopped parsley

Method
Peel the carrots and potatoes. Cut them into chunks.
Steam them over boiling water until they are tender (about 20 minutes). The rest is a breeze.
Place the veggies with the stock, garlic, cumin and cream into a saucepan.
Using a hand blender, whiz everything to a fine and fluid puree. It should almost be like cream of carrot soup.
Reheat only for a few seconds (you want to retain the raw garlic flavour).
Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
I like to serve this in small bowls alongside the schnitzels, for dipping. Serves 2.

Veal and Spinach Involtini

Try to find white, milk fed veal for this dish. I'm sorry to say, darker grass fed veal will dissapoint - it is dry and tasteless, and no magical cooking technique will correct this problem.
For this dish, veal slices are spread with a lemon and spinach paste, rolled and fastened with string. The veal rolls (or involtini) are then braised gently until they are tender.
This dish is suitable for a casual weekday dinner, or if multiplied, would do very well as an elegant dish for a fancy dinner. I like to serve this dish with braised mushrooms.

Ingredients
600g sliced veal (about 8 – 10 escalopes, palm size)
200g baby spinach leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary needles
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
2-3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g butter
sea salt
Fresh white pepper
Fresh black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Use a meat mallet to pound the veal slices, so they are thin.
In a large saucepan, cook the spinach until wilted. Remove to a sieve and allow to drain naturally (I think people who squeeze spinach to extract the liquid are crazy!). When it is cool, chop it finely.
Cook the onion in oil gently, until soft and sweet (about 20minutes).
Add the spinach, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and both peppers. Cook gently for 15 minutes. The spinach will deepen and sweeten in flavour.
Spread the spinach mixture onto each veal slice, roll and tie with string.
In a pan large enough to fit all the veal rolls, heat 1 tbsp of oil over a high heat and brown the veal rolls on all sides.
Throw in a glass of water, lower the heat, cover and braise gently for 45 minutes. Check from time to time the pan isn’t drying up. Add more water if this is the case. I also throw in a couple of woody rosemary stalks (no leaves) for extra flavour
Remove the rolls to a plate, when they are tender.
Add lemon juice and enough water to the pan to create a sauce. Turn off the heat, and throw in the butter, amalgamating well into the sauce.
Check the seasoning and serve the sauce drizzled over the veal rolls, with chopped parsley. Enough for 2-3 people.
I don’t remove the strings before serving, but of course, do so if you wish.

Winter in Summer

Nigella Lawson likes to cook summery foods in her native homeland of England to banish the cold weather and cheer herself up. My disdain for summer weather has led me to do just as she does, here in Australia by cooking wintry food. It is only mid summer (and six long weeks to go) but I am dreaming of chunky minestrone, velvety chestnut soup, wild mushrooms, ragu and tagliatelle, roast pork, game birds, rich red wine stews and crème brulee..
Agrodolce is Italian for “sweet and sour” and far superior than the commercially available sauce that goes by the same name.

Polpettine di Vitello al Agrodolce



Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
2 tbsp extra virgin oil
500g veal mince
Fresh nutmeg
1 heaped tbsp salted capers, soaked in water, and very finely chopped
Fresh black pepper
Fresh white pepper
Sea salt
1 egg (free range of course)
1 tbsp of dried breadcumbs, mixed with a splash of milk

For the Agrodolce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and whole
60 ml wine (red or white)
1 fresh bay leaf
60ml Balsamic vinegar (see note)
60ml water
1 tbsp sugar
Fresh chopped parsley

Method.
Begin by cooking the onion and the whole rosemary sprig in the oil, very gently until the onion is golden brown and beginning to break down. Take your time with this step. It should take about 30 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig - it is only there for fragrance. Add the onion to the veal and combine with all the other meatball ingredients. Season well. The only way you will know if you have the seasonings right is by tasting the mixture. If the idea of raw meat frightens you, then just cook a teaspoonful in a bit of oil. But I really could not be bothered with that, so I just taste it in its crude form. Shape into little meatballs.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan large enough to fit the meatballs comfortably and brown them well. Turn down the heat to low, splash in the wine, add the bay leaf and garlic and pop the lid on. Braise for 45 minutes. Check from time to time all is well and the pan isn’t burning. If the pan appears to be drying out, add some water.
Turn the heat to high, add the sugar and allow it to melt and caramelize. Throw in the balsamic and water and boil furiously until syrupy.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with lots of bread to soak up the dark and sexy sauce. Serves two.
Note- I would not use an expensive Balsamic vinegar (the type that costs $300).That would be a waste. An inexpensive one from the supermarket is fine for this dish.

Crumbed Veal with Asiago Cheese

Most Australian cafes and pubs serve a dish known as Chicken Parmagiana. Do not ask me what this has got to do with Parma. It is an imposter! I have never read of it in any of my books of Parma food and I suspect this dish is a bastardization of something vaguely Italian. It is usually a huge crumbed and fried chicken breast, topped with an over reduced tomato sauce, a slice of processed ham and a mound of plastic cheese. It usually comes with fried chips. The whole experience reminds me of a bad pizza and is too vulgar for my tastes..
I do not claim my version to be authentic, but when it is made with quality ingredients it is definitely a tasty and worthy dish.
Chicken has temporarily been banned from my household, so I am using milk fed veal in its place (far superior substitute).

Ingredients per person
1 thin veal steak
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Fresh parsley, rosemary and sage, all finely chopped.
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
1 egg, beaten (free range)
Dried breadcrumbs (the Japanese make fabulous dried breadcrumbs)
Peanut oil, for deep frying
A knob of butter
1-2 Tbsp of homemade tomato sauce
Slices of Asiago cheese

Method.
Check that your steak is of an even thickness. If not, give it a light bashing with the rolling pin (I love a bit of discipline in the kitchen).
Combine the egg with the anchovy, garlic herbs and seasoning,
Add the veal steak to the egg mixture, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
Remove the steaks from the eggy marinade and allow the excess to drip away.
Dip the steak into the breadcrumbs. Coat well, pressing the crumbs into the meat. Place in the fridge, covered until you are ready to fry.
Preheat your grill to hot.
Heat enough peanut oil in a pan so you can deep fry your steak (or steaks if making more than one). When hot, add the butter and fry the crumbed steak until golden.
Immediately drain on some paper, for a minute.
Top with a spoonful or two of tomato sauce and slices of asiago cheese.
Place under the hot grill, until the cheese is just melted and oozing.
Serve immediately. It is perfect with a simple dish of very fine asparagus spears and rainbow chard stalks tossed with a white truffle oil vinaigrette.

Braised Veal with Gremolata

In total contrast to yesterday, this dish requires time, but not much effort. I do enjoy preparing food that has taken a while. Somehow I find it more satisfying than a dish that is ready in 10 minutes. Even though the meat here requires time, that does not mean it requires you. Once in the oven it takes care of itself and you are free to do as you wish. Also it will not matter much if you leave it for longer. The meat here cooks at such a slow pace that there is little danger of it drying out. Gremolata is a mixture of finely chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic. It is traditionally served with osso buco, either stirred into the sauce at the last minute or sprinkled over the finished dish.

Ingredients
500g diced milk fed veal
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 head spring garlic, separated into cloves (about 6 cloves)
1 tbsp of salt preserved capers, rinsed
1 tbsp of chopped parsley
Fresh black pepper

For the gremolata
2 tbsp of finely chopped parsley (at the last minute)
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method
Set the oven to 120c.
Combine all the ingredients (except gremolata) in an oven proof dish with a lid.
Clamp on the lid, place in the oven and cook slowly for about 3-4 hours. The veal will braise in its own juices and will be very tender.
Remove the garlic cloves and discard.
Combine the ingredients for the gremolata and add half to the veal.
Put the lid back on for a minute, just so that the flavours fuse together.
Sprinkle more gremolata over the dish and serve with steamed green beans and the juices from the pot.

Serves 2.

Note- you may change the proportions of the ingredients for the gremolata, to suit your palate.

Slow Cooking...

I love slow cooking. It allows you to combine natural, simple ingredients with all the flavours coming through at the end. I took this idea from the classic Milanese dish of osso buco and risotto. In fact osso buco was my first choice but the butcher did not have any. So I chose the diced veal option. The braised veal is easy. It all goes into a pot and it is left to simmer for an hour or so. Veal has an amazing texture If you haven’t tried real veal than go to the butcher and get some. It should be pale pink in colour (a bit like chicken ) and have a milky smell. Whatever you do not buy veal from the supermarket. I don’t know what it is but it doesn’t look, smell or taste like veal. How long can they keep fooling people I wonder?

Slow Cooked Veal with Spring Carrots and Garlic

Ingredients
500g diced veal
6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole (organic garlic has a stronger flavour and aroma)
1 celery stalk, cut in 2
1 carrot, sliced through the center
Chicken stock ( fake stock is fine )
1 fresh bouquet garni of thyme and parsley
Fresh white pepper
1-2 tbsp flour
100g celery, destringed and cut into 5cm chunks, extra
100g baby carrots, peeled and trimmed, extra
20g butterFresh chopped parsley to garnish

Method
Place the veal, garlic, celery, carrot and bouquet garni in a pot.
Cover with stock and season with the white pepper. Place a lid over the pot and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the veal is tender.
Remove the celery stalks and carrot and discard.
Dissolve the flour with some water in a small bowl. Add it to the veal and bring to the boil, stirring gently to avoid lumps. You may need more or less flour. It depends on the amount of liquid in the pot and how thick you like it. Adjust accordingly.
Add the extra carrot and celery. I do this part whilst I am making the risotto. Simmer until the carrots and celery are tender, about 10 minutes.
Finish by adding the butter to enrich the sauce.
Serve with Risotto Bianco. This makes a hesrty meal for 2.

Risotto Bianco
I dont need to tell you that you need a specific type of rice to make risotto ( I think everyone knows that) The Italians call this class of rice superfino. And there are about 10 varieties within this class. Three of these are available here in Australia, that I know of. They are vialone nano, carnaroli and of course Arborio. Arborio is the most common and cheapest but not the best. The former are superior but also expensive, about $10 a packet compared to $2 for the Arborio. However they are worth it. I must admit that I used Arborio from the supermarket. It was too hot to go on a rice hunting mission yesterday. And if I am going to be a nazi about the rice, then I should mention stock. Fake stock is wrong and out of place for risotto. The artificial flavour is amplified and the result is aggressive and too salty. You must use home made stock. Keep it light and aromatic, not dark and full bodied as you would for demi-glace. Good risotto really depends on these 2 factors. Without them I would not bother. The following recipe is a brief outline.

Ingredients
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
½ onioin, finely chopped
200g of superfine rice
White wine
Hot stock, I used a combination of chicken and rabbit
Salt and fresh white pepper
A few scrapings of nutmeg
Parmesan cheese to taste
1 tbsp of cream
20g butter

Method
Fry the onion in the olive oil until softened but not coloured.
Add the rice and fry it gently for a couple of minutes.
Add a splash of white wine (not too much or the risotto will taste sour). Allow that to absorb over the heat.
Now begin to add the hot stock progressively with stirring until no more can be absorbed and the rice is moist and creamy. How moist you like your risotto is up to you, but make sure the rice is al dente. The entire process should take about 30 minutes.
Season well and finish with the nutmeg, parmesan, butter and cream.
Eat immediately. Risotto should not be reheated but if you must do it in the microwave. Enough for 2 people.