Veal Blanquette
Veal poached in broth, bound with a white sauce made with egg yolk, garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. The great comforting classic of French gatherings.
Veal poached in broth, bound with a white sauce made with egg yolk, garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. The great comforting classic of French gatherings.
When you host friends for the evening, you need a dish that forgives hours of discussion: blanquette is one of those. All the work is in the binding — you temper the egg yolk with a little hot broth before incorporating it, never letting it boil, or the sauce splits and all is lost. I liked it served late, the wine already opened, the conversation underway. A dish is never just a dish: it is the most civilized pretext to stay together at table.
- •Veal shoulder and breast — a nice piece (meat)
- •Carrot, onion, leek — for the broth (aromatic garnish)
- •Mushrooms — a handful (garnish)
- •Pearl onions — a few (garnish)
- •Butter and flour — as needed (roux)
- •Cream and egg yolk — to taste (binding)
Veal Blanquette
Veal poached in broth, bound with a white sauce made with egg yolk, garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. The great comforting classic of French gatherings.
Why this dish? The sheet says: Foucault enjoyed dinners with friends and traditional French cuisine. Blanquette, a generous stew that is shared and stays warm while people talk, embodies those extended table evenings.
When you host friends for the evening, you need a dish that forgives hours of discussion: blanquette is one of those. All the work is in the binding — you temper the egg yolk with a little hot broth before incorporating it, never letting it boil, or the sauce splits and all is lost. I liked it served late, the wine already opened, the conversation underway. A dish is never just a dish: it is the most civilized pretext to stay together at table.
Ingredients (period version)
- Veal shoulder and breast — a nice piece (meat)
- Carrot, onion, leek — for the broth (aromatic garnish)
- Mushrooms — a handful (garnish)
- Pearl onions — a few (garnish)
- Butter and flour — as needed (roux)
- Cream and egg yolk — to taste (binding)
Ingredients
- Veal shoulder — 1 kg (meat)
- Carrot — 2 (aromatic garnish)
- Onion studded with a clove — 1 (aromatic garnish)
- Bouquet garni — 1 (flavor)
- Mushrooms — 250 g (garnish)
- Pearl onions — 12 (garnish)
- Butter — 40 g (roux)
- Flour — 40 g (roux)
- Crème fraîche — 100 ml (binding)
- Egg yolk — 1 (binding)
- Lemon juice — a dash (freshness of the sauce)
Method
- Place the veal in a Dutch oven, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer and skim.
- Add carrot, clove-studded onion, and bouquet garni, salt, then cook over low heat for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Sauté mushrooms and pearl onions separately. Strain and reserve the broth.
- Prepare a blond roux with butter and flour, moisten with hot broth to obtain a smooth sauce.
- Off the heat, mix cream and egg yolk with a little warm sauce, then stir back into the sauce without boiling. Add veal and garnish, a dash of lemon, and serve with rice.
How it was made : A bourgeois dish codified in the 19th century, blanquette relied on the principle of veal poached 'à blanc' (without browning) and a sauce bound with egg yolk, a delicate technique that distinguished a good cook. In the 20th century, it became a quintessential Sunday family dish.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of grated lemon zest at the moment of serving brightens the sauce and lightens the richness.
Michel Foucault · Charactorium
