From My Carolina Kitchen, serves 6
Recipe as told to us by Christopher, a 6th generation French butcher
1.2 kilos (approximately 2 ½ pounds) of calf (veal), cut into 1” chunks
1 glass of dry white wine (about 1 cup)
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½” slices
Salt and pepper
50 grams (about 3 tablespoons) of butter
50 grams (about 3 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
1 bouquet garni, see cook’s notes
1 rRaw egg yolk
Place the pieces of meat in a cocotte (a fireproof casserole or a cast-iron Dutch oven) and cover with cold water. Add the onion and to the veal along with the bouquet garni and salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, the lower the heat and let bubble, covered, gently for about an hour. Remove the meat, vegetables and the bouquet garni to a strainer. Discard the bouquet garni, but cover the meat and vegetables and set aside. Separately, set aside the strained stock.
Wipe out the cocotte and return to medium heat to make a roux. Melt the butter in the pan, and then add flour and cook, whisking constantly until smooth and the mixture turns a light brown, about 2 minutes. Return the stock and bring to a boil; cook until thickened and slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Return veal and vegetables to sauce, and cook until thoroughly warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the egg yolk in a heatproof bowl and slowly add a ½ cup of the hot liquid from the cocotte. Whisk them together (this is called “tempering”), then add that mixture back into the hot liquid in the cocotte and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Taste for seasonings and correct as necessary. The blanquette is now ready to serve. If desired, serve over white rice or plain buttered noodles.
Cook’s notes: A bouquet garni a bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption. There is no generic recipe for bouquet garni, but most recipes include fresh thyme and a bay leaf. Depending on the recipe, the bouquet garni may also use fresh parsley, basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, peppercorns and tarragon. For today’s recipe I would suggest sprigs of fresh thyme, fresh parsley and a bay leaf.
The carrot is added for flavor, not for color. If you prefer, you may discard it before serving.