Blanquette de Veau
A classic French veal stew featuring incredibly tender veal in a rich, creamy white sauce, studded with sweet pearl onions and earthy mushrooms. This is comfort food at its finest, reminiscent of cherished family recipes.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Veal shoulder or leg(Cut into 4-5 cm (about 2-inch) cubes. Ensure it's from a reputable butcher for the best flavor and tenderness.)
- 250 g Pearl onions(Peeled. If fresh pearl onions are unavailable, frozen ones can be used, thawed before cooking.)
- 250 g Cremini or button mushrooms(Cleaned and halved or quartered if large.)
- 50 g Unsalted butter(Divided for sautéing vegetables and making the roux.)
- 50 g All-purpose flour
- 1.2 L Water or low-sodium chicken/veal broth(For simmering the veal. Broth will add more depth of flavor.)
- 1 medium Carrot(Peeled and roughly chopped (optional, for added sweetness and color).)
- 1 medium Celery stalk(Roughly chopped (optional, for aromatic base).)
- 1/2 medium Leek(White and light green parts only, washed thoroughly and roughly chopped (optional, for aromatic base).)
- 1 bundle Bouquet garni(Typically includes parsley stems, thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf, tied together with kitchen twine.)
- 200 ml Heavy cream
- 2 Egg yolks(For enriching the sauce.)
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice(Freshly squeezed, to balance the richness.)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Freshly ground black pepper
- for garnish Fresh parsley(Chopped.)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the veal: Place the veal cubes in a large pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and let it boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes to remove impurities. Drain the veal and rinse the pot. This blanching step ensures a cleaner flavor and lighter color for the final stew.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 2
Simmer the veal: Return the blanched veal to the clean pot. Add the chopped carrot, celery, and leek (if using), the bouquet garni, and enough fresh cold water or broth to generously cover the meat (about 1.2 liters). Season lightly with salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer very gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the veal is fork-tender. Avoid boiling, as this can toughen the meat.
⏱️ 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours - 3
Prepare the vegetables: While the veal simmers, melt 25g of butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Add the peeled pearl onions and sauté until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add the prepared mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and start to brown slightly, another 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
⏱️ 15 minutes - 4
Make the velouté sauce base: Once the veal is tender, carefully remove the veal cubes and the bouquet garni (and vegetables, if desired) from the pot using a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking liquid. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or another pot, discarding the solids. You should have about 1 liter of flavorful liquid. In a clean saucepan, melt the remaining 25g of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes to form a light roux. Do not let it brown. Gradually whisk in about 750ml of the strained veal cooking liquid until smooth. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook for 5 minutes to thicken into a velouté sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
⏱️ 15 minutes - 5
Temper the egg yolks: In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 egg yolks and the heavy cream. To temper the yolks, slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot velouté sauce into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This gradually raises the temperature of the yolks, preventing them from scrambling.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 6
Finish the sauce and combine: Pour the tempered yolk and cream mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the velouté sauce. Stir in the lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. **Crucially, do not let the sauce boil**, or the yolks will curdle. If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a little more of the reserved veal cooking liquid until you reach the desired consistency.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 7
Assemble and serve: Gently add the cooked veal, sautéed pearl onions, and mushrooms to the finished sauce. Stir to combine and heat through gently for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
⏱️ 5 minutes
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The key to Blanquette de Veau is its pale color. Avoid browning the veal at all costs. Blanching and simmering in water or broth are essential.
- ✓Tempering the egg yolks is critical. Whisking the hot liquid into the yolks slowly prevents them from cooking too quickly and scrambling.
- ✓The final sauce should be smooth, creamy, and rich, but not heavy. The lemon juice adds a necessary brightness to cut through the richness.
- ✓For an even more luxurious sauce, you can strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve after adding the yolk mixture, ensuring absolute smoothness.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Add blanched carrots along with the pearl onions and mushrooms for extra sweetness and color.
- Incorporate fresh tarragon leaves into the sauce at the very end for a subtle anise flavor.
- Use a mix of different mushroom varieties for more complex flavor.