While traveling in France a few weeks ago, we ate at La Table Cathare, in Fanjeaux. We ordered the plat du jour, Blanquette de Veau. It was delicious! After we got home, I searched online for the recipe. Yesterday, I made this version, which is quite delicious!
Blanquette de Veau
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless veal or lean beef, cut into 1" chunks
1 bouquet garni (1 tsp. coriander seeds, 5 black peppercorns, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 whole cloves, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, and 1/4 bunch parsley stems, wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine)
2 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices or julienned
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced
10 ounces pearl onions, peeled
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
cooked white rice, for serving
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley, for serving
1. Rinse meat and place in a 5 to 6 quart pan. Add broth, carrots, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then turn down heat to simmer gently until meat is tender when pierced, 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Transfer meat and seasonings with a slotted spoon to another pan. Discard bouquet garni. Bring broth to boil, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to 3 cups. (I prepared to this point then refrigerated broth with meat. When ready to finish, I proceeded as follows.)
2. Rinse and prepare mushrooms and onions. In a 10" to 12" frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add mushrooms and onions, and cook, shaking pan often, until mushroom juices have evaporated and vegetables are beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. I placed meat and broth in a crock pot. I turned crockpot to high for about 30 minutes to get meat hot. Add mushrooms and onions to meat when hot.
4. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons water with flour until smooth, stir into boiling meat juices. Add whipping cream. Stir gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn down crockpot to low and leave for 3 to 4 hours. Add lemon juice and stir before ladling stew into bowls. Serve over white rice.
Blanquette de Veau
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless veal or lean beef, cut into 1" chunks
1 bouquet garni (1 tsp. coriander seeds, 5 black peppercorns, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 whole cloves, 2 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, and 1/4 bunch parsley stems, wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine)
2 cups chicken broth
2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices or julienned
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced
10 ounces pearl onions, peeled
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
cooked white rice, for serving
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley, for serving
1. Rinse meat and place in a 5 to 6 quart pan. Add broth, carrots, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then turn down heat to simmer gently until meat is tender when pierced, 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Transfer meat and seasonings with a slotted spoon to another pan. Discard bouquet garni. Bring broth to boil, uncovered, over high heat until reduced to 3 cups. (I prepared to this point then refrigerated broth with meat. When ready to finish, I proceeded as follows.)
2. Rinse and prepare mushrooms and onions. In a 10" to 12" frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add mushrooms and onions, and cook, shaking pan often, until mushroom juices have evaporated and vegetables are beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. I placed meat and broth in a crock pot. I turned crockpot to high for about 30 minutes to get meat hot. Add mushrooms and onions to meat when hot.
4. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons water with flour until smooth, stir into boiling meat juices. Add whipping cream. Stir gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn down crockpot to low and leave for 3 to 4 hours. Add lemon juice and stir before ladling stew into bowls. Serve over white rice.
