Blanquette de Veau Recipe (French Veal Stew)
Blanquette de Veau, the most popular French veal stew recipe traditionally made with tender veal simmered in a rich, cream sauce. Our best family recipe delicately fragranced with lemon, thickened with egg yolks and served with rice. Can be made with chicken or turkey.
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
To Serve: serve with fluffy Basmati rice (or other long grain e.g. from France's Camargue). Not traditional but also good with fresh noodles.
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 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
Nutrition
Calories: 554kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 50gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 312mgSodium: 450mgPotassium: 1227mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 4036IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 3mg
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