Blanquette de Veau Recipe (French Veal Stew)
Blanquette de Veau, the most popular French comfort food traditionally made with tender veal simmered in a rich, creamy sauce. Our best family recipe delicately fragranced with lemon and thickened with egg yolks and served with rice.
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 large sprig 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.
- Boil the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced. Meanwhile, in a bowl, hand-whisk the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, yolks, grated nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Blend in 3 tablespoons of the hot stock then quickly whisk in the yolk mixture back into the stock. Whisk constantly until thickened but do not boil (it will reduce its subtle flavours). Whisk until the sauce is silky smooth then pour over the meat and vegetables.
Notes
To Serve: serve with fluffy Basmati rice (or other long grain e.g. from France's Camargue). This dish is also delicious reheated the next day.
Made in Advance: 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).
Nutrition based on one 748g portion: 52g protein; 25g carbohydrates, Glycemic Index: 1