flipBlanquette de veau à l'ancienne
Blanquette de veau à l'ancienne
Why this dish? Blanquette de veau is THE dish of grand family lunches in the Parisian bourgeoisie, served on Sundays and reunion days. For Blum, attached to the discreet rites of his milieu and to the family table gathered together, this dish embodies the bourgeois and republican France in which he grew up.
Tender veal long simmered in a white broth with carrots and mushrooms, all coated in a velvety sauce bound with egg yolk and finished with a squeeze of lemon. Mild, enveloping, slightly tangy.
Blanquette, you see, is the Sunday dish, the one around which the family gathers and quarrels subside. The secret lies in a rule I hold as moral as it is culinary: the meat must never brown; you put it in cold water and skim it patiently, for haste is the enemy of good work. At the last moment, off the heat, you bind the sauce with an egg yolk and a squeeze of lemon — and above all, do not let it boil again, or all is lost. I have always seen in it the image of a certain France: sober, melting, without flashy brilliance, and better reheated the next day.
- •Veal shoulder and breast — a nice piece (base)
- •Carrots — a few (aromatic garnish)
- •Onion studded with cloves — one (aromatic)
- •Bouquet garni — one (flavor)
- •Butter and flour — equal parts (white roux)
- •Button mushrooms — a handful (garnish)
- •Egg yolks and cream — as needed (binding (signature))
- •Lemon — half (finishing acidity)
Blanquette de veau à l'ancienne
Tender veal long simmered in a white broth with carrots and mushrooms, all coated in a velvety sauce bound with egg yolk and finished with a squeeze of lemon. Mild, enveloping, slightly tangy.
Why this dish? Blanquette de veau is THE dish of grand family lunches in the Parisian bourgeoisie, served on Sundays and reunion days. For Blum, attached to the discreet rites of his milieu and to the family table gathered together, this dish embodies the bourgeois and republican France in which he grew up.
Blanquette, you see, is the Sunday dish, the one around which the family gathers and quarrels subside. The secret lies in a rule I hold as moral as it is culinary: the meat must never brown; you put it in cold water and skim it patiently, for haste is the enemy of good work. At the last moment, off the heat, you bind the sauce with an egg yolk and a squeeze of lemon — and above all, do not let it boil again, or all is lost. I have always seen in it the image of a certain France: sober, melting, without flashy brilliance, and better reheated the next day.
Ingredients (period version)
- Veal shoulder and breast — a nice piece (base)
- Carrots — a few (aromatic garnish)
- Onion studded with cloves — one (aromatic)
- Bouquet garni — one (flavor)
- Butter and flour — equal parts (white roux)
- Button mushrooms — a handful (garnish)
- Egg yolks and cream — as needed (binding (signature))
- Lemon — half (finishing acidity)
Ingredients
- Veal (shoulder + breast) — 1.2 kg (base)
- Carrots — 3 (aromatic garnish)
- Onion studded with 2 cloves — 1 (aromatic)
- Bouquet garni — 1 (flavor)
- Butter / flour — 50 g / 50 g (white roux)
- Button mushrooms — 250 g (garnish)
- Egg yolks — 2 (binding (signature))
- Crème fraîche — 10 cl (binding)
- Lemon — 1/2 (finishing acidity)
Method
- Place the veal in cold water, bring to a simmer and skim thoroughly.
- Add carrots, studded onion and bouquet garni; cook on low boil for 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Prepare a white roux (butter + flour without browning) and moisten with strained broth to make a velouté.
- Add the mushrooms and drained meat to the sauce; simmer for 15 minutes.
- Off the heat, bind with yolks beaten with cream, then lemon juice — never let it boil again.
- Serve with plain rice or steamed potatoes.
How it was made : Blanquette was codified in 19th-century bourgeois cookbooks. The egg yolk liaison, inherited from haute cuisine, descended into home kitchens in the 19th century: it was mastered at the corner of a coal stove, monitoring heat by hand for lack of a thermostat.
The contemporary twist : Finish with grated lemon zest and a few tarragon leaves; serve in an individual cocotte for a contemporary bistro touch.
Léon Blum · Charactorium
