Before I begin, I must correct myself. When I posted about our Sunday dinner this past week, I spoke about the "lightness" in the meal. It sounded as if I meant light in flavor. But after one bite, it was clear that this dish was only "light" in one way and that was the color. When one cooks a recipe once or twice over the course of a couple of years, the remembrance of that dish can sometimes fade. Having said that, this dish will have a permanent flavor fixture in my mind, mouth and belly from now on.
Blanquette de Veau is a classic French stew of veal, onions and mushrooms (see it's light-- in color☺). It is simmered in a simple flavored sauce that is enriched with egg yolks and cream (there goes the lightness). However, the lemon juice that helps finish the sauce does provide a bright, fresh flavor that keeps it from being overly heavy and rich. With the addition of mushroom and onions, there is not much need of another vegetable, but I do like to serve it with glazed carrots, a side of potatoes, or a simple salad. All you really need, though, is a good chunk of bread to sop up every bit of that delectable sauce. I kid you not, this sauce makes shoe leather taste good!
As far as the recipe itself, you'll note that it calls for blanching the veal stew meat in water first. Not a common cooking practice, but it is important. Why? When veal is simmered, it releases quite a bit of cooking "scum" that you will want to discard. The rest of the recipe is just steps, all of which can be done in advance like most stews. But when reheating, note that this is a delicate stew and you do not want it to even come to a simmer. Otherwise the egg yolk liaison will curdle and the sauce will break. You might think that such a low and slow, step-by-step cooking process isn't worth the wait but trust me, it is. Enjoying a glass of wine helps pass the time☺.
