It’s the kind of Sunday where you don’t want to go out. It’s grey, maybe cold, and the best decision of the day is to set a blanquette to simmer. The house will smell amazing for three hours — that’s already a victory in itself.
Ingredients :
- The veal — Choose shoulder or chest (tendron), not the rump. These cuts have fat and collagen — that’s what gives it that melting texture after long cooking. Rump is too lean and will become dry and disappointing.
- Heavy cream — Thick heavy cream, really. Liquid cream makes the sauce too runny and less stable under heat. Use at least 30% fat. No low-fat versions here, they won’t hold up.
- The lemon — This is the ingredient people always underestimate. Its juice in the cream sauce cuts through the heavy and fatty side — without it, the blanquette feels overwhelming after three bites. Use an unwaxed lemon if possible; a bit of zest wouldn’t hurt either.
- Button mushrooms — White and very firm. Avoid mushrooms that are already soft or slightly brownish — they release too much water and turn the sauce grey. If you find cremini (brown mushrooms), they work too for a slightly more pronounced flavor.
