Veal blanquette with white pepper
Our version of veal blanquette: simmered meat, vegetables, a sauce thickened with egg yolks, Madagascar white peppercorns ground just before serving.
- Prep 30 min
- Cooking 60 min
- Total 90 min
- Serves 4 servings
- Difficulty Medium
Veal blanquette is a slow-cooked dish from French cuisine, built around meat cooked for a long time in a broth then bound in a pale sauce with egg yolks and cream. Here is our version, which relies on Madagascar white peppercorns, which our family grows and prepares in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar: ground right at the end, it flavours the sauce without leaving a single dark speck in it.
The meat simmers for a long time with root vegetables, in a broth that then becomes the base of the sauce, thickened with a roux and then bound with egg yolks off the heat.
Preparation
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Put the veal cubes in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Skim off the foam that forms on the surface.
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Add the carrots cut into chunks, the leek, the whole onion and the bouquet garni. Season lightly with salt, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is tender.
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Drain the meat and vegetables, keeping the cooking liquid. Pass this liquid through a fine sieve and keep about 75 cl of it for the sauce. Keep the meat warm.
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In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and mix for 2 minutes over low heat without letting it colour. Pour in the hot stock a little at a time while whisking, until you get a smooth sauce. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
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Slice the mushrooms and fry them for a few minutes in a pan with a knob of butter. Add them to the sauce with the drained meat and vegetables.
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Off the heat, blend the egg yolks with a little crème fraîche. Pour this mixture into the sauce, which should be hot but not boiling, whisking to thicken it. Add the remaining crème fraîche and a dash of lemon juice.
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Adjust the seasoning with salt, grind the white pepper directly over the pot just before serving, and serve with white rice.
The little extra that changes everything
Grind the white pepper at the very last moment, never during cooking: it quickly loses its aroma in the heat, and grinding it too early dulls the sauce. This is also why it is preferred to black pepper in a clear sauce, covered in white pepper in clear sauces and purées: it leaves no visible dark specks. Above all, never let the sauce boil after adding the egg yolks, as it would curdle and turn grainy straightaway. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar white pepper
