Blanquette of Veal & Cauliflower
Submitted by bdhartog
Classic French blanquette of veal with cauliflower in a velvety white roux sauce finished with sour cream. Slow-simmered tender veal stew, lightly nutmegged. Serve over rice pilaf or buttered noodles.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
105 minREADY
115 minBlanquette of veal with cauliflower is a French country classic, the white stew that proves not all braises need browning. The technique here is the opposite of a beef bourguignon. The veal goes into cold broth without searing, simmers gently for an hour and a quarter until tender, and the cooking liquid becomes the base of a smooth white sauce thickened with roux and finished with sour cream.
The roux preparation is the centerpiece. Five tablespoons each of butter and flour cook together for two minutes to take the raw flour edge off. The strained veal cooking liquid then whisks in vigorously to create a glossy velouete that coats the back of a spoon.
A quarter teaspoon of nutmeg and half a lemon are the classic French blanquette signatures. The nutmeg adds a warm aromatic backnote while the lemon brightens the richness without making the dish taste citrusy. Both should be subtle. You should taste them only as a memory.
The critical rule for the sour cream finish is do not reheat. Whisk a half cup of the hot sauce into the sour cream first to temper it, then stir back into the stew off the heat. Boiling after the cream goes in will break the sauce.
Pro Tips
- Skim the foam aggressively in the first few minutes of simmering. The scum carries off-flavors that make the white sauce taste muddy.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth as specified. The long simmer concentrates salt, and regular broth will overpower.
- Cut the cauliflower florets a uniform size so they cook evenly in the 15-minute simmer.
- Strain the cooking liquid carefully through a fine mesh. Bits of vegetable will cloud the finished sauce.
Variations
- Add 8 ounces small white mushrooms with the cauliflower for the traditional Blanquette de Veau a l’Ancienne.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a few drops of lemon juice at serving.
- Serve over wide egg noodles, rice pilaf, or boiled new potatoes.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the veal and 4 cups broth in a 5-quart heavy pot over high heat on top of the stove.
Cover and bring to a boil. Remove any scum that comes to the top of the pot, then add the remaining 2 cups broth, the onion, celery, carrot, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon.
Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1¼ hours, or until meat is just tender.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium pot over low heat, and whisk in the flour.
Cook, stirring, 2 minutes and remove from heat.
Set aside until the meat is cooked.
When the meat is done, remove it from the liquid, using a slotted spoon.
Pick off and discard any vegetables that cling to the veal.
Replace the butter-flour mixture over medium-low heat on the stove and strain the cooking liquid into it, whisking vigorously.
Discard vegetables in the strainer.
Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add cauliflower and continue to cook an additional 15 minutes.
Skim off any residue that rises to the surface.
When it’s time to serve dinner, add the veal to the cauliflower and sauce and heat through.
Place sour cream in a mixing bowl, whisk in ½ cup of the hot sauce, then add this to the stew.
Do not reheat the sauce after adding sour cream.
Pour the stew into a serving dish and accompany with rice pilaf or buttered noodles.
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