Veal Blanquette - Warmer than your best plaid !

Ok the joke sucks!
With the cold, the veal blanquette returns.
My wife is crazy about it. I think I make it twice a month during winter.
It could be the same with you? Maybe not as much…
Anyway, I'm going to give my version. It is simple and quick to prepare. On the other hand, it needs to be cooked the day before and then reheated.

Jump to:

• Which pieces of veal?
• Which vegetables do I need?
• What should I serve the blanquette with?
• And if I don't like veal ?
• But Jean-Yves, I don't eat meat!
• What about that famous sauce?
• 📖 Recipe

Which pieces of veal?

You can use collar, tenderloin, breast or boneless shoulder to prepare your blanquette. I also use veal tongue. But the piece that everyone agrees on is the cheek.
If you are lucky enough to find some, don't hesitate. It's a delight. It melts in your mouth, a treat. Moreover, thanks to the collagen present in this piece, you will stay young longer!, the sauce will stick naturally. In fact, you will have less need to do it thanks to a white roux or a "beurre manié".

Which vegetables do I need?

You have to put carrots, leek white and onion studded with cloves or not. You can add celery, spring onions and button mushrooms.
I also sometimes add the following root vegetables:

• rutabaga
• parsnip
• golden ball turnip

When reheating, if I find some, I add tuberous chervil, you can even add roasted chestnuts.

What should I serve the blanquette with?

In addition to the vegetables already present, you can serve it with potatoes that will have been cooked in the broth during reheating or rice.
You can also serve it with pasta if you wish. And although I have never tried it, I think the combination with creamy polenta can be a winner.

And if I don't like veal ?

You can make your blanquette with chicken, rabbit, pork or lamb. All you have to do is take the right pieces and adjust the cooking times. But it works perfectly and it's very good.

But Jean-Yves, I don't eat meat!

Blanquette can be made with fish; monkfish, sea bream, cod. You just have to make the broth, let it cool down, then add the fish to marinate it. The next day, you remove the fish and warm up the broth. Once it is hot, you dip your fish in the broth to cook it.
You can also cook only vegetables and make the sauce to eat a blanquette of vegetables.

What about that famous sauce?

As often the sauce makes for a lot in this dish.
Personally, here's how I make it.
In a saucepan, I put some cooking broth to which I add two egg yolks and cream. I gently bring it up to temperature while whisking.
Then, just before serving, I pour the juice of half a lemon.

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📖 Recipe