Blanquette de Veau

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all ingredients first: cut the veal into even 3 cm cubes if needed; peel and halve the onion; peel and chunk the carrot; clean and slice the leek; cut the celery; trim the mushrooms; peel the pearl onions; and chop the parsley. Keeping the veal pieces uniform helps them cook gently and stay tender within the 60-minute schedule.

   500 g veal shoulder or stew meat, cut into 3 cm cubes1 medium (120 g) onion, peeled and halved1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks1 small (80 g) leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced into 3 cm pieces1 stalk (50 g) celery stalk, cut into large pieces180 g button mushrooms, trimmed; small left whole, larger halved120 g pearl onions, peeled10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2. 2

   Place the veal in a saucepan with the water, onion, carrot, leek, celery, bouquet garni, salt, and peppercorns. Bring just up to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming carefully as soon as foam rises. Do not let it boil hard; a quiet simmer keeps the broth clear and the meat delicate.

   500 g veal shoulder or stew meat, cut into 3 cm cubes1.2 L water1 medium (120 g) onion, peeled and halved1 medium (100 g) carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks1 small (80 g) leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced into 3 cm pieces1 stalk (50 g) celery stalk, cut into large pieces1 bundle bouquet garni8 g fine salt6 whole black peppercorns
3. 3

   Lower the heat and simmer gently for 30-35 minutes, partially covered, until the veal is just tender when pierced with a knife. While it cooks, prepare the garnishes and sauce base.

4. 4

   For the pearl onions, combine them in a small pan with the butter, water, salt, and sugar. Cover with a cartouche or lid and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes until tender and glossy; uncover at the end so the liquid evaporates and lightly glazes them.

   120 g pearl onions, peeled25 g unsalted butter80 ml water1 g fine salt2 g caster sugar
5. 5

   At the same time, cook the mushrooms in a separate pan with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water from the pan if needed, tossing over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until just tender and lightly concentrated. The lemon helps keep them pale, in the classic style.

   180 g button mushrooms, trimmed; small left whole, larger halved10 ml lemon juice
6. 6

   Make a blond roux: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the flour, and cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly. It should foam and smell slightly nutty but stay pale; if it browns, the sauce will lose its traditional white color.

   30 g unsalted butter30 g plain flour
7. 7

   When the veal is tender, lift out the meat with a slotted spoon. Strain the cooking liquid into a clean bowl, discarding the vegetables, bouquet garni, and peppercorns. Measure out about 500 ml of the hot broth.

8. 8

   Whisk the 500 ml hot broth gradually into the roux until smooth. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until lightly thickened and silky. It should coat the back of a spoon but still flow easily.

9. 9

   Return the veal to the sauce and add the glazed pearl onions and cooked mushrooms. Simmer very gently for 5 minutes so the flavors combine without tightening the meat.

   500 g veal shoulder or stew meat, cut into 3 cm cubes120 g pearl onions, peeled180 g button mushrooms, trimmed; small left whole, larger halved
10. 10

    In a bowl, whisk together the cream, egg yolk, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. Take the pan off the heat, then whisk a ladle of hot sauce into the liaison to temper it. Stir the liaison back into the stew. Return to very low heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently, until the sauce becomes velvety. Do not boil after adding the yolk or the sauce may split.

    120 ml cooking cream1 egg yolk10 ml lemon juice2 g fine salt1 g ground white pepper
11. 11

    Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let the blanquette stand off the heat for 3 minutes so the sauce settles and clings to the meat. Finish with chopped parsley and serve hot, ideally with buttered rice or steamed potatoes.

    10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Origin & History

Blanquette de veau is one of the great classics of French home and bourgeois cooking, especially associated with Parisian and central French traditions. Unlike browned stews, its defining feature is pale meat poached gently in stock and finished with a white liaison of cream and egg yolk. The dish became a staple of 19th-century French cuisine and remains a benchmark of careful sauce-making.