Blanquette De Veau - An Undersung Stew

An undersung stew takes back the spotlight

When it comes to comforting French classics, beef bourguignon is Meryl Streep.

The hearty stew, championed by beloved French-American cuisine ambassador Julia Child, is a familiar winter icon.

But this awards season, we're banking on an ingénue: the less celebrated but equally delicious blanquette de veau. Like the younger sister of bourguignon, the blanquette relies on tender veal and cream rather than on beef and red wine.

It has been a quiet favorite at Francophile haunts such as La Grenouille and Café Boulud in New York, but has recently been claimed by a younger crowd. For instance, the infant of the Boulud empire, Épicerie Boulud, serves it as a workday lunch special, and a new menu at Bobo in the West Village gives it the spotlight. 

At Papilles in Los Angeles, the dish receives modern touches at the hands of chef Tim Carey. The enriched cooking stock is charged in an iSi siphon before it's dispersed over the tender cubes of meat.

In San Francisco, Café des Amis chef Mark Sullivan serves his take on blanquette de veau as a Sunday special. "It's the height of luxury in a rustic setting," he says of the dish. Try his recipe (click here to see), made with chanterelle mushrooms.

Move over Meryl, there's a new kid in town.