Blanquette de Veau Recipe

This Blanquette de Veau recipe transforms tender pieces of veal into an elegant French comfort-food classic, finished with mushrooms, pearl onions, fresh parsley, and a silky cream sauce brightened with lemon. Featured on Dinner in Paris with host Romain Avril, this traditional French veal stew delivers delicate flavours, luxurious texture, and the unmistakable warmth of French home cooking.

The Inspiration

Blanquette de Veau is one of the great classics of French home cooking, built around the idea of slowly cooking veal until exceptionally tender before bringing everything together with a pale, creamy sauce. Rather than relying on bold browning or heavy spices, the dish highlights delicate flavours and careful technique, allowing the veal, vegetables, herbs, and rich sauce to complement one another.

On Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril celebrates the kind of French cooking that feels sophisticated without losing its connection to comforting, familiar food. Blanquette de Veau fits naturally into that approach. It is elegant in presentation yet rooted in the traditions of slow-cooked meals designed to be shared around the table.

For viewers of Dinner in Paris, this recipe offers an opportunity to recreate a classic French dining experience at home through approachable ingredients and patient cooking.

Ingredients

Veal & Broth

1.2 kg (2½ lb) veal shoulder or veal stew meat, cut into large cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of thyme
4 cloves
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1.5 L (6 cups) water or light veal/chicken stock

Garnish

250 g (8 oz) button mushrooms, halved
20 pearl onions, peeled
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp of parsley, chopped

Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream (35%)
1 egg yolk
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Place veal into large heavy-bottom pot. Cover with cold water. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and cloves.
Bring slowly to gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim foam from surface using ladle or spoon during first 10–15 minutes. Cook for 90-120 minutes, covered.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp butter in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms.
Cook 5–7 minutes until lightly golden and slightly soft. Remove and reserve. In same pan add remaining butter.
Add pearl onions and 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until lightly glazed.
Remove veal pieces carefully. Strain cooking liquid through fine sieve into clean saucepan.
Discard herbs and large vegetables. Reserve approximately 1 liter (4 cups) of broth.
For the sauce, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour.
Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not brown. Gradually whisk in reserved hot broth.
Simmer for 10 minutes until smooth and lightly thickened.
Sauce should coat back of spoon. In a bowl combine cream, egg yolk and lemon juice.
Slowly whisk in one ladle hot sauce to temper mixture. Prevents curdling. Reduce heat to low.
Stir cream mixture into sauce. Do NOT boil after adding egg yolk.
Return veal, mushrooms and pearl onions to sauce. Simmer gently for 5 minutes over low heat.
Just enough to heat through. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
Fold in parsley. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This Blanquette de Veau recipe captures the beauty of classic French cooking through slow preparation, delicate seasoning, and a luxurious finishing sauce. Tender veal, aromatic broth, buttery mushrooms, sweet pearl onions, heavy cream, egg yolk, and fresh lemon come together in a dish that feels simultaneously refined and deeply comforting.

Featured on Dinner in Paris with Romain Avril, this recipe celebrates a style of cooking where patience and technique turn familiar ingredients into something special. It is the kind of French dish that can transform an ordinary dinner into an occasion without depending on complicated presentation or extravagant ingredients.

Whether served over rice, alongside potatoes, or with a warm baguette for soaking up every last spoonful of sauce, Blanquette de Veau offers a memorable combination of tenderness, richness, and balance. For anyone interested in exploring traditional French comfort food, this creamy veal stew is a rewarding recipe to bring to the table.

Final Thoughts

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