Veal in white wine sauce is a classic French dish.
It’s also a simple dish to make and an easy one to expand for a dinner party.
Both veal and vegetables are braised, then finished with a white wine cream sauce.
The Greek yogurt is not traditional, but we have to make some effort to keep things moderately health, now, don’t we?.
Blanquette de Veau or Veal in White Wine Sauce
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 14oz (420gr) veal, suitable for braising, cut into large chunks, 1 1/2 ” (3.75 cm)
- 1 onion
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 bouquet garni
- 3 carrots, peeled,cut in half the short way, then in half the long way
- 4 shallots, peeled, left whole
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms. trimmed, cut in half or thickly sliced
- 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:
- Cut the onion in half and stud with cloves.
- Place veal, 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.
- 30 – 45 minutes before veal is done start the vegetables:
- 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.
- Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.
- 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, add to sauce, stirring until thickened.
- 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.
Mon mari had a dream about me the other night. In the dream I was talking to someone on the phone, got angry and hung up on them (whoever it was).
When he told me about it, the only thought that came to mind was: How did I hang up on them?
There was a time when, if one wanted to make a definite statement while on the phone, one could hang up. It was loud and final. The other person had no doubt that the conversation had been terminated forcefully.
Now what does one do? Tap the screen violently? Can one even tap violently?
Do a forceful mouse-click?
Or maybe swipe dramatically….
But who would know?
Once the other person realized you were gone they would likely shrug and assume the connection was lost or you had moved out of cell range or some other equally innocuous reason for the call having ended.
Where’s the satisfaction in that?
There should be an ‘ap for that’….. A Hang-up ap.
I’ll get right on it.
Of course this mindless meandering led me down the path to ponder the other things that we no longer do.
I’m guessing that very few young people hitch-hike these days. My thumb and I logged a lot of miles when I was at university. I never ‘hitched’ alone, mind you, but we all did it.
Speaking of being at university, we (my friends and I) normally called our parents no more often than once a week… or once every two weeks… or once a month.
And we had study dates at the library. Do people still do research in libraries?
For that matter…. Do people still do research?
Or go to libraries?
Excuse me, I think my age is showing.
Do try the Blanquette….
I make blanquette de veau for company sometimes (I have several recipes, one which uses star anise to flavor the sauce) and have been surprised how many French people say they have rarely eaten it. I find a lot of people don’t make “plats mijotés” anymore.
One more to add to your list – do telegrams still exist these days? I remember party lines and telephone exchange operators who used to know everything going on in the district!
And snail mail was sent to us c/o Poste Restante while we hitch hiked round Europe on $5.00 a day !!!
Betty, star anise – I love that idea. Our young (temporary) French teacher (23) has no clue how to cook anything… Seems to be a trend all over.
Gill – telegrams and wiring money and travelers checks…. We had a party line when I was growing up…. I remember the neighbors ‘listening in’.
Kate, Europe on $5.00 a day – yes, I remember that. Then it was 15.00… then 25.00… I wonder what it is now?