Blanquette de Veau, the most popular French comfort food traditionally made with tender veal simmered in a rich, creamy sauce. Our best family recipe is delicately fragranced with lemon, thickened with egg yolks (so gluten free) and served with rice.
Before you think of this as a boring stew, discover our recipe secrets how to make its famous flavoursome sauce. Great for entertaining, this can be prepared in advance.
This recipe brings back wonderful memories of when I was a hostess in a French restaurant when I was in college and this was a specialty of the chef! It is difficult to find veal so I was happy to see that chicken could be substituted and it was delicious! Thank you Jill for another incredible easy to follow recipe!
Devra
Blanquette de Veau: A Classic French Stew
Prized for its simplicity and elegance, Blanquette de Veau (pronounced "Blonk-ette-de-voh") is a timeless French white stew passed down through generations. The term, "Blanquette" refers to the cooking method: unlike many stews (such as this Corsican veal stew), the meat isn't browned.
Instead, veal is gently simmered in a pot with white wine, fresh herbs and carrots, resulting in exceptionally tender meat. The crowning glory is the luscious white sauce, either thickened with flour ('roux') or, as in this recipe, enriched with egg yolks for a silky smooth texture.
Every French family has its own version, and renowned chefs like Thierry Marx add their own creative touches, incorporating ingredients like gherkins (cornichons) and morels. I love also trying out these Parisian restaurant twists!
Where Does 'Blanquette de Veau' Come From?
Blanquette de Veau is a classic French dish from our Ile-de-France region around Paris. Its history dates back to 1735, when Vincent Chapelle, in his book, Le Cuisinier Moderne, described using leftover roasted meats, mushrooms and onions.
It wasn't until 1867 that chef Jules Gouffé stated (in On Va Déguster La France by François-Régis Gaudry), that "A Blanquette uses raw white meats, boiled in a fragrant stock and thickened with a roux".
What type of meat is Veau?
Veau is French for veal, a popular meat in France (and Italy).
For the best blanquette, use a mixture of best quality veal breast and shoulder cuts and remove any excess fat. Those of lucky to be living in France, we can simply ask le boucher (butcher) for 'Blanquette', as it's labelled as such at the butchers!
Can I Make it with Chicken?
If you can't get veal, it's delicious with chicken or turkey breasts (use free-range, if possible). Other options include Chapon (castrated rooster) or Poulard (fattened hen). As they're particularly used in France over Christmas, add some pre-cooked chestnuts and wild mushrooms for something extra special.
How to Make a French Blanquette de Veau: Key Tips
The best Blanquette de Veau is full of flavour. Here are my key tips for the best recipe:
- Slow and steady: simmer the veal gently for maximum tenderness.
- Garnish separately: cook the mushrooms and pearl onions separately for optimal flavour. I cheat and use frozen pearl onions to make the prep even easier. Otherwise use fresh spring onions which are quick to prepare.
- Sauce perfection: the true magic lies in the final steps, so don't cut corners! The authentic recipe involves thickening the sauce with egg yolks or a roux, resulting in a richer flavour. Skipping this step would be like making a spicy curry without the spices! This is a gluten free recipe, as this sauce is thickened with egg yolks, cream, nutmeg and the bright zest of lemon.
Tip for Cooking the Mushroom Garnish
Before the end of cooking, prepare the garnish. Fry mushrooms at first without any oil or butter in a non-stick pan until they have given out all of their juices. This concentrates the flavour. THEN add the butter and sauté with the pearl onions until golden and set aside.
For more on their varieties and how to cook them,
see the mushroom market produce page.
Lift the lid of the casserole dish and smell these flavours! Discard the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stalks.
Remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a large serving dish, adding the cooked mushrooms and small pearl onions. Set aside and keep warm in a cool-moderate oven.
How to Make the Best Blanquette White Sauce
This is the important part of the recipe! Boil the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced. Meanwhile, in a bowl, hand-whisk the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, yolks, grated nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper.
In this easy recipe, there's no worry about curdling any yolks! Temper the sauce by blending 3 tablespoons of the hot stock then quickly whisk in the yolk mixture back into the stock. Stir constantly until thickened but do not boil (it will reduce its subtle flavours). Whisk until the sauce is smooth and velvety.
Pour the creamy sauce over the meat and serve with Basmati rice or other long-grain rice (Jasmine, Camargue) and a good, crusty baguette. Top with freshly chopped parsley just before serving.
Can I Reheat it?
The bonus is la Blanquette reheats well. Prepare the stew the day before (steps one and two), cool then chill in the fridge.
At this point, this can be frozen. However, please do not freeze after making the stew in its entirety with the sauce, as it will lose its delicate flavours in the freezer. Whether defrosted or reheated the next day, make the final sauce on the day of serving and voilà!
See more egg yolk recipes.
What Wine Pairs with Blanquette de Veau?
My husband, Antoine and I adore wine pairing (I have a WSET wine diploma, and he's been getting good at this over the years!). We serve this with delicate yet round (rather than mineral) white wines, such as an Alsace Riesling or Pinot Gris.
For a richer, buttery flavour, pair with medium-bodied white Burgundies, as Chardonnay is fabulous with the creamy rich sauce. Ideally, go for a Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint Véran, Marsannay or Chablis. Even better, use in the sauce.
You could also pair this with the sparkling (crémant) Blanquette de Limoux wine (from Languedoc-Roussillon); just ensure it's 'brut' dry, not the slightly sweet 'demi-sec'.
For more easy French family dishes see our favourite Classic French dishes, including popular casseroles such as:
- Coq au Vin
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Chicken and Prune Tagine, and
- Monkfish Stew (Lotte à L'Armoricaine).
Blanquette de Veau Recipe (French Veal Stew)
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish with a lid
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg (3lb) veal mixture of breast & shoulder, cut into chunks, trimmed of fat
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves
- bouquet garni 1 bay leaf, 1 large sprig thyme, 3 sprigs parsley
- 1 leek white part only, sliced
- 2 large carrots cut into chunks
- 250 ml (9 floz/ 1 cup) white wine
- 300 g (11oz/3½ cups) mushrooms (champignons de Paris) about 24, halved or quartered depending on size
- 18 small pearl onions or spring onions (or use frozen)
- 25 g (1oz/2 tbsp) butter
- 150 g (5.5 oz/ ⅔ cup) crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- grated zest and juice of half lemon unwaxed/organic
- ½ teaspoon fleur de sel salt (plus few turns of the peppermill) to taste
Instructions
- Stud the onion with the cloves. Place the veal in a casserole dish and add the carrots, onion, leek and bouquet garni. Pour in the wine and add enough water just to cover the meat and vegetables. Bring to the boil, skimming the surface for the first 10 minutes of any scum. Cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours.
- About 45 minutes before the end of cooking, prepare the garnish. Wash mushrooms, pat dry and cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. TIP: Fry mushrooms at first without any oil or butter in a non-stick pan until they have given out all of their juices. This concentrates the flavour. THEN add the butter and fry the onions. When cooked, add the lemon juice and set aside.
- Lift the lid of the casserole dish and smell these flavours! Discard the bay leaf and herb stalks. Remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large serving dish, adding the mushrooms and pearl onions. Set aside and keep warm in a cool-moderate oven while preparing the sauce.
- Boil the cooking liquid over a high heat until reduced. Meanwhile, in a bowl, hand-whisk the crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, yolks, grated nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Blend in 3 tablespoons of the hot stock then quickly whisk in the yolk mixture back into the stock. Whisk constantly until thickened but do not boil (it will reduce its subtle flavours). Whisk until the sauce is silky smooth then pour over the meat and vegetables.
Notes
This recipe was originally published on 13 January 2015, but text and photos are updated with a printable recipe card.
Robert
This recipe brings back memories. My aunt made this back in Brugge on rainy days and it is the best. She used a flour roux rather than egg yolks and cream but I think your recipe gives a richer sauce. Perfect balance with the clove, herbs and lemon. Thanks so much.
Jill Colonna
So thrilled this recipe brings back precious memories, Robert, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a lovely review. You still in Brugge? I finally visited your gorgeous town last month after years of it being on my bucket list. The belfry bells were magical, the boat ride around the canals, the walks and chocolate! Everything was so charming.
Devra Long
This recipe brings back wonderful memories of when I was a hostess in a French restaurant when I was in college and this was a specialty of the chef! It is difficult to find veal so I was happy to see that chicken could be substituted and it was delicious!!!!
Thank you Jill for another incredible easy to follow recipe!
Jill Colonna
What a lovely experience to have, Devra. I should have added a photo of it but I made this with turkey for the family this Christmas and it was a huge hit. Glad you like it!