Blanquette de Veau — Print Recipe

Tender pieces of veal simmered in a delicate white stock and finished with a velvety sauce of cream, egg yolks, and lemon — the gentlest of French stews.

Ingredients

1.2kg veal shoulder, cut into 5cm cubes
200g button mushrooms, quartered
200g pearl onions, peeled
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion studded with 2 cloves
Bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
200ml heavy cream
2 egg yolks
Juice of half a lemon
40g butter
30g all-purpose flour
Salt, white pepper, nutmeg

Instructions

1 Place veal in a pot, cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, skim thoroughly for 5 min. Drain and rinse the veal.
2 Return veal to a clean pot. Add carrots, clove-studded onion, bouquet garni, and fresh water to cover. Simmer gently for 1.5 hours.
3 Meanwhile, sauté pearl onions and mushrooms in butter until lightly golden. Set aside.
4 Remove veal and strain the cooking liquid. Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in 600ml of the strained stock. Simmer 10 min.
5 Whisk egg yolks and cream together. Temper with a ladle of hot sauce, then stir back into the pot. Add lemon juice.
6 Return veal, pearl onions, and mushrooms to the sauce. Heat gently without boiling. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
7 Serve over steamed rice or with buttered egg noodles.

Did You Know?

The word "blanquette" comes from "blanc" (white) — the entire cooking process is designed to keep the meat and sauce as pale as possible.