Veal Stew with Artichoke Hearts, Fava Beans, and Peas
This “white” stew borrows a nonbrowning method commonly used in making blanquette de veau, one of the canons of French cuisine. In that dish, a stew of veal, onions, and mushrooms is blanketed in a creamy sauce. The meat is never browned (hence the term “white stew”); the stock is thickened with a roux and, traditionally, a secondary thickener called a liaison, made with egg and cream, making it exceptionally rich. This recipe, however, opts for springtime produce over the usual vegetables and makes the liaison optional (you can omit the egg and just stir in the cream, without tempering). To make a classic blanquette de veau, see the variation that follows.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
For sachet d’epice
For stew
For sauce
For serving
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare sachet d’epice Place the aromatics on a large piece of cheesecloth, gather the edges to enclose, and tie with kitchen twine.
Step 2
Blanch favas Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl for shocking the beans (which stops the cooking and preserves their color). Drop the fava beans into a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes. Lift out the peas with a slotted spoon (or a spider) and plunge into the ice-water bath. Once they are thoroughly cool, drain and peel off the tough outer skins.
Step 3
Cook veal and artichokes Pour the wine into a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute (to cook off some of the alcohol). Add veal, water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and skim the foam from the surface with a slotted spoon (veal produces more surface foam than other meats, so this step is important). Add herb sachet and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming the surface frequently. Add artichokes to the pot, submerging them partially in the liquid. Cook until the artichokes and veal are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, adding peas during last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove the sachet and squeeze out the liquid into the pot. Then strain the contents of the pot through a fine sieve into a bowl or large measuring cup, reserving veal, artichokes, and peas. You should have about 3 cups liquid.
Step 4
Thicken sauce Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove. First, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat until foamy, swirling the pan to melt evenly, then whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Next, make a velouté by whisking the reserved liquid into the roux and bringing to a boil (again, always whisking), cooking until the mixture is smooth. (Classic culinary teaching would have you whisk cold stock into a hot roux, or vice versa, to prevent the sauce from forming lumps, but that isn’t necessary as long as you whisk diligently.) Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Step 5
Make liaison (optional) Whisk together the egg yolk, if using, and heavy cream, then temper by gradually whisking in a cup of the velouté (this will allow the egg to gently heat so it doesn’t curdle). Now whisk everything back into the pot and cook over gentle heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you prefer, omit the egg and whisk the cream directly into the velouté in the pan.)
Step 6
Serve Return the veal, artichokes, and peas to the pot along with the peeled favas and cook gently to heat through, stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and chopped dill or parsley to taste.
Ingredients
Step 7
This stew is best made in spring when all the ingredients are in season, but in a pinch, substitute frozen peas, fava beans, and even artichoke hearts, adding all at the end, just to heat through.
BLANQUETTE DE VEAU
Step 8
Omit fava beans, peas, and artichokes. Once the veal has cooked for 1 hour and 20 minutes, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces small white button mushrooms and 6 ounces blanched and peeled pearl onions (page 31), tossing to combine. Pour in 1/4 cup stock from the stew and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through and the stock has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 9 minutes. Finish with the liaison, then return veal to the pot along with the vegetables.
