Blanquette is a veal stew recipe that was an old favorite of my grandmother, Augusta, who served it in a light white cream sauce. I remember the smell of this mouth-watering dish cooking gently on the wood stove. It's a must try!
Start the Veal Blanquette:
Cut the meat into one-inch cubes, and place in a pot. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil for a minute, and skim off the foam off the top. The foam is the coagulated blood of the meat. into a colander and refresh to stop cooking.
Prepare the aromatic :
Peel the onion, and prick with the cloves. Peel the carrots and cut in half lengthwise the leek and tie it up. Peel the garlic, split in half, and remove the germ. It is essential that you remove the germ of the garlic.
Cook the Veal Blanquette:
Put the meat and all vegetables in a large pot. one-inch with approximately 3 liters (quarts) of cold water. Add the rock salt. Bring to a boil, and frequently. Cook for about an hour.
In the meantime, prepare the garnish. Soak the pearl onions in warm water. Dice the bacon and on high heat for three minutes with a tablespoon of butter. Clean and quarter the mushrooms, and add them to the bacon in the pan. Cook them for five to six additional minutes; strain through a colander or sieve. Peel the onions. Cook in the baby onions, with one cup of water, two ounces of butter, and one tablespoon of sugar. Strain on top of the mushrooms.
Prepare the sauce:
Prepare a white roux with the butter and flour. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour. Whisk until homogenized. Cook on low heat for three minutes. Using a very fine sieve, strain onto the cold roux, about 1.5 liters of the cooking . Whisk and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and gradually pour this mixture into the boiling broth, stirring constantly. Add seasonings. Strain the sauce once more in a large, clean saucepan. Add the pieces of meat one by one, and immerse them in the sauce. Add the mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon. Gently stir and serve hot with hot parsley on top.
This recipe connects to Knife Skills & Vegetable Cuts — learn the technique step by step in the video lessons.
Veal is lean and cooks quickly — watch it closely so it doesn't dry out. If you'd like to go deeper, Knife Skills & Vegetable Cuts covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
