Blanquette de veau (French Veal Stew)
As a French girl, one of my favorite classics from French cuisine is “blanquette de veau”: a tender veal stew with a creamy white sauce, a few vegetables, mushrooms and herbs. Today I’m sharing with you our family recipe with all the tips to make sure it stays super tender and the sauce becomes wonderfully creamy!
Table of contents
What is a Blanquette de Veau`
At its heart, “Blanquette de Veau” is a French veal ragout or stew famous for its creamy white sauce and tender meat. What sets this French classic apart from other stews, like the famous Bœuf Bourguignon is that the meat is never seared. Instead, it is gently cooked in an aromatic stock, which is later turned into a creamy sauce using the roux method and just a little cream at the end.
This is where the name “blanquette” comes from, derived from the French word blanc (white).
Originating in Île-de-France in the 19th century, the blanquette quickly became the star of Parisian cuisine. The recipe was finally made official by Auguste Escoffier, the famous “chef of kings”. In the early 20th century, he refined the ragout into the elegant classic that we love today as a Sunday dinner.
Fun fact: Escoffier also made the Salade Niçoise famous worldwide. He was also the one who – much to the annoyance of many purists – insisted on mixing potatoes and green beans into the Niçoise salad!
Blanquette de Veau: Explained in 3 Steps
To help you keep an overview of this recipe, the preparation can be divided into 3 simple phases:
- Prepare the stock: Cook the veal gently together with the vegetables (carrots, leeks and onions) and herbs (thyme, bay leaf, parsley) to create a stock.
- Make the sauce: Make a roux (butter + flour) and pour in your homemade ceal stock. Then add back the cooked meat, vegetables, a few extra sautéed mushrooms.
- The finish (the liaison): At the end, the sauce is typically combined with cream and egg yolks to make it nice and creamy.
Which Cut is Best for This Veal Stew?
For a perfect blanquette de veau, you need a cut of veal that becomes tender when cooked slowly.
- Veal Shoulder (in French Épaule): This is the classic choice. It is well-marbled and rich in connective tissue (collagen), which is ideal because the tissue softens during the slow simmer. This ensures the meat remains wonderfully juicy and never dries out.
- Veal Breast or Neck (in French Flanchet or Collier): These cuts are slightly richer in fat. They give the stock additional depth and become “butter-tender” as they cook.
My tip: If you can choose a mix of shoulder and neck is ideal.
Recipe card
Blanquette de veau (French Veal Stew)
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Equipment
- 1 large Dutch-Oven
Ingredients
For the Veal and Broth
- 3.5 lb veal (shoulder, breast, neck, or shank-style cuts), cut in large cubes
- 3 carrots peeled, cut in two
- 1 large onion peeled, cut in quaters
- 1 leek white part only
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley tied together)
- 2 cloves whole unpeeled
- Salt
- Whole black peppercorns
For the Vegetable Garnish
- 10-11 oz button mushrooms (about 3 cups sliced)
- 2 tbsp butter
- A splash of lemon juice
For the White Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups cooking broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream (tip: lightly whipped before using)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 lemon juice to taste
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put the veal into a large pot and cover it with cold water. Add the peppercorns, cloves, and herbs.
- Briefly bring the meat to a simmer and immediately skim off any foam that forms. If a lot of foam develops, you can pour off the water during the first 10 minutes, briefly rinse the meat, and bring it to a simmer again with fresh water. This does cause some loss of flavor, but the broth will be clearer.
- After skimming, add the carrots, onion, garlic cloves and leek. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) for 1½ to 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Clean the mushrooms and cut them into quarters. Sauté them in a pan with a little oil and butter, then set aside.
- When the meat is cooked, strain off the stock and set aside 700 ml of it. Keep the meat, carrots, and leek. Slice the carrots and leek into small pieces.
- Melt the butter in a medium size Dutch-oven, add the flour, and stir immediately. Cook for 1–2 minutes, without letting it brown.
- Gradually stir in the lukewarm veal stock until a smooth sauce forms. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Return the meat, carrots, leek, and mushrooms to the sauce. At this point, you can stop and reheat later before completing the final step.
- Just before serving, stir the cream into the sauce. Optional (egg yolk liaison): Take a ladleful of the sauce. The sauce temperature must be below 65 °C, ideally between 60 and 63 °C, to prevent the egg yolk from curdling. Mix the egg yolk smoothly with the ladled sauce, then gradually return the mixture to the pot while stirring constantly. Do not bring the sauce to a boil afterward.
- Season with salt, pepper, a little fresh thyme, and lemon juice. Serve with steamed rice.
Notes
Nutrition
The Secret to the Perfect Sauce: 5 Tips
Let’s be honest: it’s the sauce that makes Blanquette de Veau so special. These five tips will ensure your sauce is super velvety and aromatic:
- Prepare the roux correctly: Slowly sweat the butter and flour without letting them take on any color. This “white roux” creates the perfect base for a smooth, pale sauce.
- Whisk in the stock gradually: Add your lukewarm stock a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Add the cream at the end: Only fold in the heavy cream once the sauce has thickened. This ensures it stays velvety and prevents the sauce from breaking or curdling.
- Temper the egg yolks carefully: When adding the egg yolks (the liaison), make sure the sauce temperature is below 150°F (65°C). If it’s too hot, the yolks will scramble rather than thicken.
- Season and refine: Finish with squeeze of lemon juice and a bit more fresh thyme.
How To Make a Blanquette in Advance?
The blanquette is easy to prepare in advance and even gains in flavor if left to infuse for a day. But be careful: the egg yolk binding method does not tolerate reboiling. That’s why I always make it this way:
- The day before: I prepare all the meat and the sauce (with or without cream, either is fine). Then I leave everything to cool and keep it well covered in the fridge.
- On the day of serving: I then only need to gently heat the ragout over a low heat (don’t let it boil!). Just before serving, I add the egg yolk – preferably away from the hob. This guarantees that the sauce remains smooth and creamy.
My tip: If you already know that there will be leftovers, you can just reheat in portions. I calculate one egg yolk for approx. 200-250 ml of sauce – that’s about one egg yolk for 2 to 3 people.
My 3 Favorite Sides With Blanquette de Veau
Traditionally, we serve the blanquette de veau in France with white rice, which absorbs the creamy sauce wonderfully. But if you prefer something potato-based you can opt for homemade mashed potatoes or duchess potatoes.
FAQ – French Veal Stew
Yes, the veal stew can be frozen very well – but only if you have not yet added the egg yolk. Without the egg wolks, the sauce remains stable. It is best to freeze the ragout in portions. Then allow it to defrost slowly in the fridge and reheat it carefully before stirring in the liaison.
The egg yolk is the heart of the so-called “liaison”. Together with the heavy cream, it ensures that the sauce binds perfectly and has that irresistibly silky, glossy texture. The sauce would be delicious without the egg, but it is the egg yolk that transforms the simple cooking stock into an elegant, creamy ragout. My tip: always stir in the egg yolk at the very end, away from the heat, to prevent it from sticking.
If the meat is not butter-tender, this is usually due to one of two mistakes. Firstly, veal needs time: pieces such as shoulder or breast must be gently simmered for at least 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours to soften the connective tissue. Secondly, the temperature is crucial. If the stock bubbles too much, the muscle fibers of the tender veal will contract and become dry. The secret is a very gentle simmer – in France we say “mijoter” – on a low heat.
Blanquette de Veau is best served with a dry white wine with a little body and fine acidity to balance out the richness of the cream. A Chardonnay (e.g. from Burgundy) or a Pinot Gris from Alsace are the perfect choice. If you prefer a red wine, then a very light and fruity one Pinot Noir so that the tender veal is not overdone.
So delicious! Felt like I needed to thin the sauce a bit more than the recipe called but everything was delicious.
Thank you for letting me know! So happy you liked it 🙂
Ça m’a l’air délicieux et je vais la préparer le vendredi pour servir le samedi prochain. Ce sera surement délicieux .
Merci pour l’inspiration.
Merci, Sylvie !