Traditional French Dishes
The Best Blanquette De Veau Recipe in the Style of France
A French classic of slow-cooked veal in an aromatic broth and covered with a white, creamy, and balanced sauce with lemon. The blanquette de veau offers a tender and delicate texture, ideal for accompanying with rice, potatoes, or crispy bread.
This version of blanquette de veau preserves the clear and smooth character of the traditional dish: the meat is cooked without browning, the broth is transformed into a silky sauce, and the mushrooms add texture and flavor.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 kg of veal breast, needle, or shoulder in pieces
- ✓1 onion
- ✓2 carrots
- ✓1 leek
- ✓2 stalks of celery
- ✓2 cloves of garlic
- ✓1 bouquet garni of thyme, bay leaf, and parsley
- ✓1 teaspoon of salt
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns
- ✓1.5 liters of cold water
- ✓250 g of mushrooms
- ✓30 g of butter
- ✓30 g of wheat flour
- ✓2 egg yolks
- ✓150 ml of liquid cream or milk cream
- ✓The juice of 1/2 lemon
- ✓Chopped fresh parsley
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Cut the veal
Cut the veal into pieces of about 4 cm so that it retains its juiciness during cooking.
- 02
Prepare the vegetables
Peel the onion and carrots. Wash the leek and celery carefully to remove the dirt from their layers.
- 03
Form the bouquet garni
Wrap the thyme, bay leaf, and parsley with kitchen twine. If you don't have leek, substitute it with a little more onion.
- 04
Start cooking
Place the veal in a large pot and cover it with cold water.
- 05
Add aromatics
Add the onion, carrots, leek, celery, garlic, bouquet garni, salt, and peppercorns. Make sure the liquid covers the meat well.
- 06
Remove foam
Heat the pot over medium heat and remove the foam that appears before the liquid boils vigorously. When it reaches a gentle boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the veal is tender.
- 07
Clean the mushrooms
Maintain a very gentle simmer. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut them into quarters.
- 08
Strain the broth
Remove the tender veal and reserve the hot pieces. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve about 750 ml.
- 09
Reserve carrots
Optionally, save some cooked carrots to serve with the meat.
- 10
Cook the mushrooms
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and have reduced their moisture.
- 11
Prepare the roux
Add the flour and stir for 1 minute to form a smooth paste, without letting it brown.
- 12
Thicken the sauce
Gradually add the hot broth while stirring with a whisk. Cook the sauce for 8 to 10 minutes, until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- 13
Reunite meat and mushrooms
Reduce the heat to low, return the veal to the sauce along with the mushrooms, and heat slowly for about 5 minutes, without letting it boil. Adjust the salt if necessary.
- 14
Mix egg yolks and cream
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the liquid cream and lemon juice.
- 15
Temper the mixture
Gradually add a ladle of hot sauce to the mixture, stirring continuously to equalize the temperatures.
- 16
Incorporate the cream
Pour the tempered mixture into the pot and stir gently for 1 or 2 minutes over very low heat, without bringing the sauce to a boil.
- 17
Control the texture
Avoid boiling to prevent the egg yolks from forming lumps. The lemon should add freshness and balance the cream without dominating the flavor.
- 18
Adjust the consistency
Turn off the heat when the sauce is coating. If it's too thick, thin it with a few tablespoons of the reserved broth; if it's too liquid, keep it over very low heat for a little longer before adding the egg yolk and cream mixture.
- 19
Serve the blanquette
Serve the veal immediately, covered with the sauce, distribute the mushrooms on top, and finish with chopped fresh parsley.
- 20
Choose the side dish
Accompany with white rice, boiled potatoes, or crispy bread to take advantage of the sauce without hiding the delicate flavor of the veal.
- Remove the foam during the first cooking to obtain a clear broth.
- Maintain a very gentle simmer so that the veal remains tender and the broth does not become cloudy.
- Do not let the sauce boil after adding the egg yolks, cream, and lemon; thus, it will retain a smooth and silky texture.
- If you can't find leek, you can substitute it with a little more onion.
- Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth instead of leaving them in water for a long time.