Blanquette de Veal Shoulder — Classic White Braise with Carrots & Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 lb Veal Shoulder, in 2-inch cubes
• 3 Carrots, in chunks
• 10 oz Mushrooms, halved
• 1 onion, studded with 2 cloves
• 1 leek, halved
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay)
• 5 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and white pepper

Method

1. Cover the Veal Shoulder with cold water, bring slowly to a simmer, and skim every bit of gray foam for the first 10 minutes. Blanquette stays pale, so nothing gets browned and nothing gets rushed.
2. Add the clove-studded onion, leek, bouquet garni, and 2 tsp salt. Simmer gently, partly covered, for 75 minutes, until the meat is tender but still holding its shape.
3. Cook the Carrots in the broth for the last 20 minutes. Sauté the Mushrooms separately in 1 tbsp of the butter with a squeeze of lemon, keeping them pale.
4. Strain, keeping 4 cups of broth. Melt the remaining butter, whisk in the flour, and cook 2 minutes without coloring, then whisk in the hot broth and simmer 10 minutes until velvety.
5. Beat the yolks with the cream, then temper: whisk in a ladle of hot sauce, then another, before stirring the mixture back into the pan off the heat. Never let it boil after the yolks go in or it will scramble.
6. Fold the meat and vegetables back in, sharpen with the lemon juice, season with white pepper, and serve over rice or buttered noodles.