Blanquette de Veau, the most popular French comfort food traditionally made with tender veal simmered in a rich, creamy sauce with carrots and mushrooms. Our best family recipe is lightly fragranced with lemon, thickened with egg yolks (so gluten-free) and served with rice. It's a great dish for entertaining, as can be prepared in advance.
This recipe brings back wonderful memories of when I was a hostess in a French restaurant when I was in college and this was a specialty of the chef! It is difficult to find veal so I was happy to see that chicken could be substituted and it was delicious! Thank you Jill for another incredible easy to follow recipe! - Devra
Blanquette de Veau: A Classic French Stew
Prized for its simplicity and elegance, Blanquette de Veau (pronounced "Blonk-ette-de-voh") is a timeless French white stew passed down through generations. The term, "Blanquette" refers to the cooking method; unlike many classic stews, the meat isn't browned.
Instead, veal is gently simmered in a pot with white wine, fresh herbs and carrots, resulting in exceptionally tender meat. The crowning glory is the luscious white sauce, either thickened with flour ('roux') or, as in this recipe, enriched with egg yolks for a silky smooth texture.
Every French family has its own version, and renowned chefs like Thierry Marx add their own creative touches, incorporating ingredients like gherkins (cornichons) and morels. I love also trying out these Parisian restaurant twists!
Where Does 'Blanquette de Veau' Come From?
Blanquette de Veau is a classic French dish from our Ile-de-France region around Paris. Its history dates back to 1735, when Vincent Chapelle, in his book, Le Cuisinier Moderne, described using leftover roasted meats, mushrooms and onions.
It wasn't until 1867 that chef Jules Gouffé stated (source: On Va Déguster La France by François-Régis Gaudry), that "A Blanquette uses raw white meats, boiled in a fragrant stock and thickened with a roux".
What type of meat is Veau?
Veau is French for veal, a popular meat in France (and Italy) and the best meat for blanquette to be authentic.
For cut of veal, use a mixture of top quality veal breast and shoulder cuts and remove any excess fat. Those of lucky to be living in France, we can simply ask le boucher (butcher) for 'Blanquette', as it's labelled as such at the butchers!
Can I Make it with Chicken?
If you can't get veal, it's delicious instead with chicken or turkey (use free-range, if possible). Other options include Chapon (castrated rooster) or Poulard (fattened hen). As they're particularly used in France over Christmas, add some pre-cooked chestnuts and wild mushrooms for something extra special.
How to Make a French Blanquette de Veau: Key Tips
The best Blanquette de Veau is full of flavour. Here are my key tips for the best recipe:
- Slow and steady: simmer the veal gently for maximum tenderness.
- Garnish separately: cook the mushrooms and pearl onions separately for optimal flavour. I cheat and use frozen pearl onions to make the prep even easier. Otherwise use fresh spring onions which are quick to prepare.
- Sauce perfection: the true magic lies in the final steps, so don't cut corners! The authentic recipe involves thickening the sauce with egg yolks or a roux, resulting in a richer flavour. Skipping this step would be like making a spicy curry without the spices! This is a gluten free recipe, as this sauce is thickened with egg yolks, cream, nutmeg and the bright zest of lemon.
Tip for Cooking the Mushroom Garnish
Before the end of cooking, prepare the garnish. Fry mushrooms at first without any oil or butter in a non-stick pan until they have given out all of their juices. This concentrates the flavour. THEN add the butter and sauté with the pearl onions until golden and set aside.
For more on their varieties and how to cook them,
see the mushroom market produce page.
Lift the lid of the casserole dish and smell these flavours! Discard the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks.
Remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a large serving dish, adding the cooked mushrooms and small pearl onions. Set aside and keep warm in a cool-moderate oven.
How to Make the Best Blanquette Sauce Creamy
This is the most important part of the recipe. Boil the cooking liquid briefly over a high heat until reduced then turn down to medium heat. Meanwhile, hand-whisk the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, yolks, grated nutmeg, and season.
In this easy recipe, there's no worry about curdling any yolks! Temper the sauce by blending 3 tablespoons of the hot broth then quickly whisk in the yolk mixture back into the stock. Stir constantly until thickened but do not boil (it will reduce its subtle flavours). Whisk until the sauce is smooth and velvety.
Pour the creamy sauce over the meat and serve with Basmati rice or other long-grain rice (Jasmine, Camargue) and a good, crusty baguette. Top with freshly chopped parsley just before serving.
Can I Reheat it?
The bonus is la Blanquette reheats well. Prepare the stew the day before (steps one and two), cool then chill in the fridge.
At this point, this can be frozen. However, please do not freeze after making the stew in its entirety with the sauce, as it will lose its delicate flavours in the freezer. Whether defrosted or reheated the next day, make the final sauce on the day of serving and voilà!
See more egg yolk recipes.
What Wine Pairs with Blanquette de Veau?
Wine pairing a Blanquette is fun; My husband, Antoine and I adore wine pairing (I have a WSET wine diploma, but he's better at this than me). Serve with delicate yet round (rather than mineral) white wines, such as an Alsace Riesling or Pinot Gris.
For more richer, buttery flavours, pair with medium-bodied white Burgundies, as Chardonnay works well with the velvety sauce.
Ideally, go for a Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint Véran, Marsannay or Chablis. Even better, use in the sauce. You could also pair this with the sparkling (crémant) Blanquette de Limoux wine (from Languedoc-Roussillon); just ensure it's 'brut' dry, not the slightly sweet 'demi-sec'.
Slow Cooker Blanquette: How to Adapt the Classic Recipe
While I don't personally cook this in a slow cooker, the gentle cooking method works really well for a French blanquette to initially cook the meat. Just prepare the veal, vegetables, wine and bouquet garni as in step 1 and cook in the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours, or until the veal is tender.
Follow the rest of the recipe as written, as the sauce needs to be made separately by hand on the stove in a saucepan. Return the meat to that velvety sauce just before serving, as this stage defines a true blanquette.
More Famous French Stews
Try more famous French stews, such as:
- Coq au Vin
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Corsican veal stew with peppers - much like a Marengo dish, with tomatoes
- Monkfish Stew (Lotte à L'Armoricaine).
For even more family recipes,
see our favourite Classic French dishes.
Blanquette de Veau Recipe (French Veal Stew)
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish with a lid
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg (3lb) veal mixture of breast & shoulder, cut into chunks, trimmed of fat
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves
- bouquet garni 1 bay leaf, 1-2 sprigs thyme, 3 sprigs parsley
- 1 leek white part only, sliced
- 2 large carrots cut into chunks
- 250 ml (9 floz/ 1 cup) white wine
- 300 g (11oz/3½ cups) mushrooms (champignons de Paris) about 24, halved or quartered depending on size
- 18 small pearl onions or spring onions (or use frozen)
- 25 g (1oz/2 tbsp) butter
- 150 g (5.5 oz/ ⅔ cup) crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- grated zest and juice of half lemon unwaxed/organic
- ½ teaspoon fleur de sel salt (plus few turns of the peppermill) to taste
Instructions
- Stud the onion with the cloves. Place the veal in a casserole dish and add the carrots, onion, leek and bouquet garni. Pour in the wine and add enough water just to cover the meat and vegetables. Bring to the boil, skimming the surface for the first 10 minutes of any scum. Cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours.
- About 45 minutes before the end of cooking, prepare the garnish. Wash mushrooms, pat dry and cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. TIP: Fry mushrooms at first without any oil or butter in a non-stick pan until they have given out all of their juices. This concentrates the flavour. THEN add the butter and fry the onions. When cooked, add the lemon juice and set aside.
- Lift the lid of the casserole dish and smell these flavours! Discard the bay leaf and herb stalks. Remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large serving dish, adding the mushrooms and pearl onions. Set aside and keep warm in a cool-moderate oven while preparing the sauce.
- Briefly boil the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced slightly. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, hand-whisk the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, 3 large yolks, grated nutmeg, and season with salt and ground black pepper. Blend in 3 tablespoons of the hot stock then immediately whisk in the yolk mixture back into the stock in the casserole dish. Whisk constantly until thickened. The sauce will seem thin at first but keep whisking for a few minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil (it will reduce its subtle flavours). When the sauce is silky smooth, pour over the meat and vegetables.
Notes
This dish is also delicious reheated the next day. Advance Prep: Can be prepared the day before a dinner party. Just prepare steps 1 + 2 in advance, cool then chill in the fridge. Make the sauce and garnish on the day of serving. Also freezes well without the yolk sauce (prepare step one and cool, chill then freeze until needed). Slow Cooker Option: Follow step 1 (veal, vegetables and wine) and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender. Strain the cooking liquid, add the mushroom garnish and finish the sauce separately in a saucepan with the egg yolk and cream mixture as directed and pour over the meat and vegetables. Mushrooms: while button mushrooms are usually added, vary with wild mushrooms such as girolles for special occasions. Nutrition based on one 748g portion: 50g protein; 20g carbohydrates, Glycemic Index: 1
This recipe was originally published on 13 January 2015, but text and photos are updated with a printable recipe card.
Valerie Lazell
can i make this in a slow cooker
Jill Colonna
Hi Valerie,
Yes, you can make this in a slow cooker. Bring everything briefly to the boil first, then cook on low for 6–8 hours until tender. Just be sure to finish the creamy egg-yolk sauce on the stove at the end so it stays silky and doesn’t split.
I don’t actually use a slow cooker myself for this, but the method adapts very well for a slow-cooked Blanquette recipe. Do let me know how it turns out!
Margot Congdon
Hello Jill,
I am in France and was excited to make this recipe. I am embarrassed to say that my sauce did not thicken - possibly I did not reduce the cooking liquid enough? The flavor was lovely, so will attempt again, but would be helpful to know how much to reduce the cooking liquid. I seem to be the only person where this happened!
Jill Colonna
Bonjour Margot,
I’m really glad you loved the flavour — that’s the most important part of a blanquette!
The cooking liquid shouldn’t be reduced much at all — no more than about a quarter. The thickness comes mainly from the egg yolks, not the reduction.
When the yolk mixture goes back into the hot stock, it can take a few minutes before you see any change. Keep the heat medium-low, whisk constantly, and it will thicken without needing to boil (patience really but so worth it!).
If it stayed thin, it’s usually down to a little extra liquid added at the start so once the yolks have thickened it, just continue to reduce a little from that point. I’m sure it’ll be spot-on next time. I hope this helps,
Best, Jill x
Madeleine
Jill, this recipe is fantastic, just like other recipes I've made from your site--they never disappoint!
A note to your readers: this is the real deal from an actual French resident and proper cook! Trust Jill and her recipes and don't be duped by others.
Jill Colonna
Thanks so much for your kind words - bowled over you like this blanquette recipe. It's our family's favourite recipe - my father-in-law, Jean-Pierre, always ask for more of the sauce!
Robert
This recipe brings back memories. My aunt made this back in Brugge on rainy days and it is the best. She used a flour roux rather than egg yolks and cream but I think your recipe gives a richer sauce. Perfect balance with the clove, herbs and lemon. Thanks so much.
Jill Colonna
So thrilled this recipe brings back precious memories, Robert, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a lovely review. You still in Brugge? I finally visited your gorgeous town last month after years of it being on my bucket list. The belfry bells were magical, the boat ride around the canals, the walks and chocolate! Everything was so charming.
Devra Long
This recipe brings back wonderful memories of when I was a hostess in a French restaurant when I was in college and this was a specialty of the chef! It is difficult to find veal so I was happy to see that chicken could be substituted and it was delicious!!!!
Thank you Jill for another incredible easy to follow recipe!
Jill Colonna
What a lovely experience to have, Devra. I should have added a photo of it but I made this with turkey for the family this Christmas and it was a huge hit. Glad you like it!
Aya
THE genuine recipe
And yummy too
Thank you Jill Colonna !
Jill Colonna
So thrilled you like this too, Aya x
Christine
I trust your recipes more than the NY Times, so thank you for this. Pure magic, so happy you shared with us!
Jill Colonna
Thrilled you like this recipe and thanks for your lovely words!
Nina
The recipe looks delicious. Can't wait to try it! In step 2 does it mean to fry the pickled onions with the mushrooms? Thanks.
Jill Colonna
Hi Nina, thanks so much for pointing this out, as I have now just added a couple of words in the recipe to make it clearer. Fry the mushrooms first in the pan on their own until they give off their juices - then add the onions in the same pan as the cooked mushrooms. Enjoy - we love this dish so much!
Thomasina
I love that this recipe can be made in advance and has lemon in the sauce. Good to know that you can reheat it.
Jill Colonna
Glad you like it too. It's such a precious recipe to have for entertaining.
Jane Queenan
Veal unavailable, but very successful with chicken! The sauce is tangy enough to satisfy the tastebuds of a very elderly family member, so I can see it becoming regular! I know it’s a white sauce, but your opinion, please - would this method work with a beef stock?
Jill Colonna
Glad you like the recipe - even with chicken, Jane. This will work with beef stock as long as it's not too strong, as veal is lighter in flavour. In France we can actually find veal stock (frozen in particular) so perhaps you can find it in Scotland?
Dominique
Being fromBelgium, I got very excited when I fond veal, and decided to prepare this dis that my mother made so often.
The grand kids loved it !
Jill Colonna
So glad you found this recipe, then, Dominique.Thanks for telling us you enjoyed it.
Julie
I miss this recipe the most when I'm away from home. I may be biased but amazing recipe mum!
Jill Colonna
Thanks Julie - at least you've got the recipe to make it yourself in London!
Isabelle
Showstopper ! Will definitely make again
Sandrine
Works everytime, straightforward, tasty recipe. Thanks!
Jill Colonna
Thanks for popping in Sandrine to tell us x
Jill Colonna
So glad you like this recipe, Sandrine. Thanks for popping in.
Ronald
The classic of the classics of French cuisine at the utmost level of quality ! This is a must do recipe
Thank you Jill Colonna !!
Jill Colonna
Thanks so much for your feedback, Ronald. So happy you like this one too!
Juudy Scrimger
Greetings and Bonjour, Jill
Do you think this could be converted to a slow-cooker recipe? Perhaps you have an idea of the timing? An email reply would be preferred. Thanks in advance,
Juudy Scrimger, Ottawa, Canada
Jill Colonna
Hi Juudy,
I don't have a slow cooker but of course the first part could be converted to it, based on your experiences with cooking casseroles with it. The last important stage of adding the yolk sauce, however, will still have to be carried out separately. Enjoy x
Parisbreakfast
Gee that looks and sounds wonderful Jill!
Would love to have a relationship with any French butcher.
A total mystery to me how these things work...
Jill
Ah, the mysteries - I totally understand, although the best way is to try to speak their language. The previous butcher I had just up the road, though, mocked that I was Scottish and was surprised each time I ordered anything that wasn't black sausage or wasn't an ingredient for haggis. One joke went too far one day and instead of standing up for myself, I just never went back. I often smile at him as I pass the window, though, Cheshire cat-like!
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)
Sending you hugs across the pond Jill XO And this looks like the perfect comfort food to eat in the wake of the last week.
Jill
Thanks, Mardi. Yes, and the weather is pointing to more cosy comforts too. Today it's blowing a gale - would rather have hibernated under the duvet!
Tonessa
Love this recipe! Definitely a keeper. Ironically today I started my duck confit for my cassoulet. -- another french comfort classic! Thanks so much for sharing.
Jill
Love duck too, Tonessa, although it perhaps needs more wine with it to cut down on the fat 😉 Thanks for popping in.
Liz
Perfect comfort food! And your sauce looks so rich and scrumptious---I know the gang would love this dish 🙂
Jill
Thanks, Liz. Yes, the sauce is what makes it. Don't know why they call it white sauce, as it's more yellowy...