Blanquette de Veau or Braised Veal, easy gourmet dinner recipes.

Blanquette de Veau

Cooking time: 2 hours with break for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

This braised veal dish is classic French cooking, but very easy. Substitute pork if you prefer. You could do this in a slow-cooker; but if you do, add the carrots half way through.

Blanquette de Veau Veal in White Wine Sauce

Total time: 2 hours
Braised veal and vegetables, finished with a white wine sauce is a classic French dish, easy to make, delicious, and impressive to serve. It can easily be expanded for a dinner party.

Veal in White Wine Sauce Ingredients:

14oz (420gr) veal, suitable for braising
1 onion
2 whole cloves
1 bouquet garni
2 carrots
4 shallots
4oz (120gr) mushrooms
1 cup (8oz, 240ml) dry white wine
1 1/4 cups (10oz, 300ml) chicken stock (divided) plus water enough to cover meat in pan
2 tbs butter
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup (4oz, 125gr) Greek yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche
Gnocchi, 7oz (210gr)

Instructions:

The Veal:
Cut meat into large chunks, 1 1/2 " (3.75 cm).
Cut the onion in half and stud with cloves.
Peel the carrots and cut in half the short way, then in half the long way.
Place meat, onion, carrots and bouquet garni in a heavy saucepan or casserole.
Pour the white wine over and 1 cup of the chicken stock to cover, adding water if needed.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer, very gently, for 90 minutes.
The Veg:
30 - 45 minutes before veal is done start the vegetables: Peel the shallots.
Brush the mushrooms, remove stems. Thickly slice if large, leave small mushrooms whole.
Heat 1 tbs of the butter and the lemon juice in a medium nonstick skillet.
Add mushrooms and sauté until golden. Remove and set aside.
Add remaining 1 tbs butter and whole shallots. Sauté until shallots start to brown.
Add 1/4 cup chicken stock, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.
Remove cover and cook off most of the liquid.
Add mushrooms to pan, cover and turn off heat.
The Gnocchi:
Cook according to package directions.
To Finish:
Remove veal and carrots from pot, cover and keep warm.
Strain cooking liquid, put it back into the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce to 1 cup (or so)
Turn heat under sauce to medium-low. Dissolve cornstarch in water and thicken sauce.
Remove from heat, add yogurt and nutmeg, stirring well.
Put the gnocchi onto a platter. Arrange veal, carrots, shallots and mushroom on top.
Spoon some sauce over meat, vegetables and pass the rest.

Cooking Schedule: 2 hours with break
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid, medium skillet,
strainer, pot and colander for gnocchi
Cut veal
Peel, cut carrot
Peel onion, cut in half, stud with cloves
Put veal, carrot, onion, herbs in pot
Pour wine, stock over, bring to a boil
Cover, reduce heat, braise
Take an hour break
Clean, trim mushrooms, slice big ones
Sauté mushrooms
Peel shallots
Remove mushrooms

Sauté shallots
Dissolve cornstarch in water
Add stock to shallots, cover and simmer
Put water on medium heat for gnocchi
20 minute break
Uncover shallots, cook off liquid
Increase heat to high under water for gnocchi
Add mushrooms to shallots, turn off heat, cover
Remove veal, carrots, add to shallots to keep warm
Strain cooking stock, return to high heat, reduce
Start to cook gnocchi
Thicken sauce
Strain gnocchi, arrange on platter
Add veal, carrots, mushrooms, shallots to gnocchi
Add yogurt, nutmeg to sauce, stir to combine
Pour sauce over veal and vegetables and serve

Menu Plan for Winter I: Week 7, Day 2