In the classic version, the veal is simmered in a white stock and served in a velouté sauce enriched with cream and egg.
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What it gets right
It delivers a cohesive white-meat-and-white-sauce format, consistent with the culinary term 'blanquette' as defined for white meat in white sauce.
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What it does not
Carrots and other coloured vegetables are excluded by a purist view tied to the dish’s whiteness.
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What it changed
An older preparation roasted the veal first, chilled it, then sliced or chopped it before covering with white sauce and reheating.
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Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people seeking a veal-based stew with a creamy, egg-enriched white sauce.
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Is it worth your time
It is worth your time if you want a traditional French veal stew with a rich, pale sauce.
Worth your time?
Selectively. Start with the brief, then cook the parts we point at.
What works
It delivers a cohesive white-meat-and-white-sauce format, consistent with the culinary term 'blanquette' as defined for white meat in white sauce. Some value the visual and conceptual whiteness of the dish.
What does not
Carrots and other coloured vegetables are excluded by a purist view tied to the dish’s whiteness.
Cook it if
Skip it if
The written brief1 min read
What the dish is and where it came from
Blanquette de veau is a French veal stew. The name comes from ‘blanc’, the French word for white.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
In the classic version, the veal is simmered in a white stock and served in a velouté sauce enriched with cream and egg.
What it gets right
It delivers a cohesive white-meat-and-white-sauce format, consistent with the culinary term ‘blanquette’ as defined for white meat in white sauce. Some value the visual and conceptual whiteness of the dish.
What it does not
Carrots and other coloured vegetables are excluded by a purist view tied to the dish’s whiteness.
What it changed
An older preparation roasted the veal first, chilled it, then sliced or chopped it before covering with white sauce and reheating.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people seeking a veal-based stew with a creamy, egg-enriched white sauce. It is not for people avoiding veal, dairy, or eggs.
Is it worth your time
It is worth your time if you want a traditional French veal stew with a rich, pale sauce.