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Blanquette de Veau

Recipe adapted from Mark Sullivan, Café des Amis, San Francisco

Yield: 6 servings

Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

  • INGREDIENTS

    • Stock
    1 tablespoon white peppercorns
    1 tablespoon coriander seeds
    6 sprigs fresh thyme
    6 springs fresh parsley
    3 pounds veal breast or stew meat, cut into 1½ inch cubes
    1 gallon cold water
    ¼ cup kosher salt, plus more to taste
    4 small carrots coarsely chopped
    2 large stems celery coarsely chopped
    1 small yellow onion coarsely chopped
    1 large leek white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped
    8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

    Vegetables
    24 pearl onions, peeled
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
    5 celery stalks, cut into 24 one-inch pieces
    2 large carrots, cut into 12 one-inch pieces
    3 medium turnips, quartered
    8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and tough stems trimmed
    8 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and tough stems trimmed

    1 pound cavatelli pasta or other small pasta

    Cream sauce
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    ¾ cup crème fraîche
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    Zest of 1 medium lemon
    Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    1 tablespoon butter
    1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves--picked, washed and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. On a clean work surface, spread out a 12-inch by-12-inch square of cheesecloth. Place the white peppercorns, coriander seed, thyme and parsley in the center. Roll it up tightly and tie the top with butcher's twine.

2. In a large stockpot add the veal. Cover with the water, stir in ¼ cup of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the veal, rinse under cold water, clean the pot, and return it to medium-high heat. Add the drained veal, carrots, celery, onion, leek and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the reserved cheesecloth. Continue simmering on low heat, using a spoon to skim the fat off the surface frequently, until the veal is tender, about 1 hour. Drain the veal, reserving the stock separately. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a separate bowl, discarding the vegetables and the cheesecloth.

3. In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and boil for 2 minutes. Strain and set aside.

4. In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the pearl onions, celery, carrots, turnips, button mushrooms and chanterelles. Measure 1½ cups of the stock and add to the vegetables. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender and almost all liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Mix the veal into the vegetables.

5. In a medium stockpot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.

6. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan set over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Mix in the flour and cook until the mixture turns golden brown, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups of the reserved stock and cook until thickened, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

7. Drain the pasta and toss with the tablespoon of butter. Divide the pasta among six plates, then top with the veal and vegetables. Pour the cream sauce over the veal and vegetables and garnish with parsley.
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