Veal Ragout (Blanquette de Veau)

Ingredients

• 1 kg veal shoulder, trimmed
• 2 veal bones
• 100 ml dry white wine
• Salt
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 carrots
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 bundle of kitchen herbs (parsley, bay leaf, thyme)
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp spelt whole‑grain flour
• 400 g small onions (e.g., pearl onions)
• 200 g mushrooms
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pepper (ground)
• 1 egg yolk
• 100 g crème fraîche
• chervil for garnish

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and pat dry the veal shoulder. Place it with the bones in a large pot, add wine and enough water to cover the meat and bones, then bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Peel the onion and pierce it with peppercorns. Peel and halve the carrots. Peel the garlic clove. Add the vegetables and herb bundle to the pot. Sprinkle in peppercorns. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1½–2 hours until tender.

2. 2.

   Melt 1 tbsp butter in another saucepan. Sauté the peeled small onions and cleaned mushrooms in it. Deglaze with a bit of veal stock and let simmer for 2–3 minutes.

3. 3.

   Lift the veal from the pot and drain. Cut into cubes and quickly brown in the remaining butter. Remove the bones. Strain the broth through a sieve. Add the butter‑flour mixture to the broth and whisk until smooth. Reduce the sauce to the desired consistency. Whisk together egg yolk, crème fraîche, and 2–3 tbsp of the reduced sauce. Stir this into the sauce and mix well. Return the veal and onions to the pot, pour in the sauce, and gently warm on low heat (do not boil). Season with salt, lemon juice, and pepper, then serve garnished with chervil.