Veal Stew with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Tender veal cubes simmered slowly with aromatic herbs, pearl onions, and sauteed mushrooms, thickened with a butter-flour roux and enriched by a cream-egg yolk liaison. Adjusted for fewer mushrooms and swapped celery with fennel for a subtle anise aroma. Pearl onions replaced half with shallots for bite. Clear broth filtered and recycled for sauce base. Timing nudged ±5 minutes. Technique tips and sensory cues included to read doneness and avoid grittiness in sauce.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#French
#stew
#veal
#mushrooms
#slow-cooking
#cream sauce
#roux
#comfort food
Veal cubes barely simmered in a broth pulsing with cloves, thyme, parsley — but with a twist. Fennel swaps celery, adding bright, subtle licorice notes. Pearl onions half replaced by louder shallots for a slight bite and texture contrast. Mushrooms dialed back slightly to make room for cream’s richness. The roux thickens like a charm if you’re vigilant, no rushing here. I’ve learned the hard way that scooting the temperature just right at liaison step saves the creamy silkiness and stops curdling disasters. It’s no delicate soufflé but needs some finesse. The smell alone, that warm herb stew mingling with butter-sautéed produce, signals this isn’t everyday fare — worth the time, the stir, the simmer.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) veal cubes (inside round)
- 1 onion peeled
- 3 cloves
- 2 sprigs parsley
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 carrots cut in chunks
- 1 bulb fennel chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 2.5 liters chicken broth (lightly salted)
- 140 g (5 oz) pearl onions peeled and partly replaced with 140 g shallots peeled
- 170 g (6 oz) button mushrooms sliced
- 85 g butter divided
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) 35% cream
- 1 egg yolk
About the ingredients
Quantities are trimmed by about 30%, adjusted for generous but not over-indulgent portions. Onion cloves pared down; fennel in place of celery to freshen the usual smell without too much herbaceousness. Replacing half pearl onions with shallots cuts peeling fuss and introduces texture contrast. Mushrooms cut back are intentional; I’ve found too many overwhelm the veal’s flavor. Butter is divided - a trick to build layers of flavor and prevent browning the flour too soon. Flour is just enough to thicken without gumminess. Broth refreshed to 1 liter after straining, topped off with water if needed—don’t throw any broth away, it’s gold. Cream 35%, not lighter — crucial for richness. Egg yolk for liaison instead of cream alone adds thickness and silk sensation; timing is key. No nuts here, for allergy-safe comfort.
Method
- Start by plunging veal cubes into cold water till just bubbling, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold tap till no scum. Dry well with salad spinner or towel. Clears impurities, stops bitter aftertaste.
- Grab whole onion, stab firmly with cloves; makes that classic background aroma but without overpowering. Tie herbs plus bay leaf with kitchen twine. Keeps bouquet neat, avoids stray twigs floating around.
- Put veal back in clean pot. Add the pierced onion, herb bundle, carrot chunks, fennel in place of celery (adds aroma twist), whole garlic cloves, plus broth. Bring to gentle boil. Drop heat to whisper, barely bubbling. Cover loosely.
- Simmer for roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Check meat texture, should yield with modest pressure but keep shape. Overcooking shreds veal into mush. No lid means reduction, intensifies stock.
- Meanwhile, toss shallots and pearl onions in 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Toss often, look for glossy golden shells before softening. Same pan, add mushrooms, sizzle till edges slightly crisp but not watery. Fruitiness pops out.
- Strain broth through fine sieve over big bowl — reserve exactly 1 liter. Use water if short. Compost veggie scraps; no need for those after long simmer.
- Melt remaining butter medium heat. Whisk in flour, stir constantly for a minute, no color yet. Slowly stream in reheated broth while whisking vigorously to dodge lumps. Bring to low bubble and keep stirring till sauce thickens, coats spoon. This step seals the deal for velvety sauce texture, no floury grit.
- Add veal chunks back, pearl onions and mushrooms. Simmer gentle 5 minutes just till onions tender, veal warmed through. No vigorous boil or sauce breaks.
- Off heat, temper egg yolk with cream in small bowl. Gradually drizzle into stew while stirring steadily. Immediately aromatic, silky. If sauce too thick, thin with splash of water or broth. Taste, adjust salt if needed.
- Serve with steamed rice or rustic buttered noodles. Garnish optional parsley, no lemon juice unless you want to brighten but risk souring yolk. Remember, yolk cooks slowly in hot mix.
- Keep an eye when adding the cream-yolk liaison — temperature matters. Too hot and yolk clots, too cold and sauce dulls. This step demands patience, whisk-flick rhythm.
- Cleanup trick: soak sieve swiftly in hot water before rinsing, avoids stuck flour particles.
- If pearl onions unavailable or too tedious, substitute fully with shallots. Less sweet, adds bite fitting rustic kitchens.
- Ladle stew only when butter-fat chunks dispersed evenly; sauce separates if rushed.
Cooking tips
Blanch veal first to remove impurities – a must for clean taste and a bright broth. Don’t skip rinsing; scum removal prevents bitterness. Use tied herb bouquet for neatness and easy removal — crowded herbs look rustic but turn broth cloudy. Slow simmer with lid off permits reduction and flavor concentration, but watch for evaporation. Saute onions and mushrooms separately; caramelization brings out deep flavor and stops them from steaming in stew. Straining broth avoids grainy sauce, stand on whisking during roux addition — lumps ruin texture. Add cooked veggies back only at the end - keeps them intact, prevents mush. Liaison step: temper yolk with cream off heat, then add slowly to avoid curdling. If sauce stiffens, loosen with water — better than over-thin pour from start. Watch color, texture and gently simmer — aggressive boils break emulsions. Final taste test key — adjust salt late for best control over balance.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Blanch veal first, cold water till bubbles then rinse well. Stops bitter taste. Use salad spinner or towel to dry; moisture kills browning and clarity. Scum should vanish, no shortcuts here.
- 💡 Tie herbs tight with twine. Parsley, thyme, bay leaf. Keeps binder neat, easy removal—prevents stray woody bits drifting in broth. Bouquet garni makes extraction clean, no floating clutter.
- 💡 Simmer without lid. Gentle bubble barely whispers. Reduction thickens stock deeper flavor. Watch evaporation; topping broth with water if too low avoids too salty or over concentration.
- 💡 Sauté shallots and pearl onions first. Aim for glossy, golden shells not brown scorch. Same pan for mushrooms after. Toss often fast heat; edges crisp but keep moisture inside. Fragrance builds here.
- 💡 Whisk flour into butter medium heat; stir constantly no color. Always add warm broth gradually to dodge clumps—rushing means lumps. Keep low bubbling till sauce coats spoon like velvet, no gritty flour taste.
- 💡 Tempering egg yolk with cream off heat essential. Drizzle slowly into stew, stir steady. Temperature crucial – too hot and yolk clots, too cool dulls sauce body. Wait and watch carefully.
- 💡 Strain broth fine sieve; vegetable scraps go compost. Preserving clear stock avoids grainy sauce. Reserve exactly 1 liter. Dilute with water if short but never waste broth—bitter to throw away.
- 💡 Final reheat low simmer only five minutes once veggies back in. Off heat liaison avoids broken sauce. On too long or hot, egg curdles. Less is more. Keep stirring, watch texture constantly.
- 💡 If pearl onions missing or too much work, switch fully to shallots. Adds bite, rustic texture. Fennel instead of celery adds subtle anise note, brightens but never overwhelms herb bouquet. Adjust herbs accordingly.
- 💡 Rest stew before serving; butter-fat floats when sauce cools slightly showing even dispersion. Rushing ladle wrecks emulsification, sauce separates. Patience here pays off in silky mouthfeel.
Common questions
Why blanch veal first?
Removes impurities. Scum bubbles up. Rinsing cold water stops bitter residue. Dry thoroughly or no browning later. Helps clear broth smell and taste. Skip this, stew muddles.
How to avoid lumps in sauce?
Melt butter, stir in flour no color. Gradual warm broth while whisking, never dump. Stir consistently low bubble till thick. Hot mix, fast pour equals clumps. Quick whisk fixes small lumps.
What if egg yolk curdles?
Usually temperature too hot or yolk straight added, not tempered first. Mix yolk with cream off heat then drizzle slow. If curdle, bad texture—start liaison slow, patience key.
How store leftovers?
Cool fast, fridge up to 3 days sealed airtight. Freeze okay but cream changes texture—best consumed fresh. Reheat gently low heat stirring keeps sauce smooth. Avoid boiling reheats.
