Blanquette de Volaille Express
Blanquette de Volaille·(blahn-kett duh voh-lye)
La Cuisine de Grand-Mère: The Sunday Pots
Real French cooking isn't about tweezers and towering garnishes; it's about what the grandmother serves on a Sunday. The blanquette is the pinnacle of this comfort, historically simmering away all afternoon. But by trading veal for bite-sized chicken thighs, you can pull the exact same luxurious, soul-warming white stew off on a Tuesday night. The secret here is restraint: you poach the meat instead of searing it, you keep the mushrooms separate so they don't muddy the waters, and you respect the liaison of cream and egg at the end. It's a forty-five-minute ticket directly to a French family table.
Before you start
Prepare the bouquet garni.
Tie the fresh thyme sprigs and dried bay leaf together with a small piece of kitchen twine so they can be easily retrieved later.
Stud the onion.
Press the two whole cloves directly into the flesh of the peeled whole onion to infuse the broth without losing the woody bits in the final stew.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1 1/2 lb
- low-sodium chicken stock3 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- whole cloves2 whole
- carrots3 med
- leek1 large
- fresh thyme3 sprig
- dried bay leaf1 small
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- white button mushrooms8 oz
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- heavy whipping cream1/2 cup
- egg yolk1 large
- fresh lemon juice1 tbsp
- ground nutmeg1 pinch
- fresh parsley1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Poach the chicken gently without allowing it to brown.
Place the chicken, clove-studded onion, carrots, leek, thyme, and bay leaf into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and pour in the cold stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is completely tender.
- 02
Sauté the mushrooms in a separate pan.
Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat and cook the mushrooms until golden brown and their liquid has evaporated. Cooking them separately is non-negotiable; if boiled in the main pot, they will bleed and turn your beautiful white sauce an unappetizing gray.
- 03
Separate the flavor-packed broth from the solids.
Place a colander over a large heat-proof bowl and pour the entire contents of the Dutch oven through it. Discard the thyme, bay leaf, and the onion, then return the chicken and vegetables to the pot along with the cooked mushrooms, covering them to stay warm.
- 04
Create a pale white roux.
In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining three tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook continuously for two minutes to remove the raw flour taste, ensuring the mixture does not take on any brown color.
- 05
Build the velouté.
Slowly pour two to two and a half cups of the reserved hot broth into the roux while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer for three to five minutes until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 06
Temper the egg and cream liaison.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolk, and lemon juice. Vigorously whisk a half-cup of the hot velouté into this mixture to temper the egg so it doesn't scramble when it hits the saucepan.
- 07
Finish the sauce firmly off the boil.
Pour the tempered liaison back into the saucepan and heat gently for one minute, absolutely ensuring the sauce does not boil. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, adjusting seasoning to taste.
- 08
Combine and serve immediately.
Pour the glorious, velvety white sauce over the waiting chicken and vegetables, gently stirring to coat everything. Serve hot over plain white rice and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Keep the meat white.
Resist the American urge to sear the chicken. A true blanquette demands the meat be gently poached from raw in the liquid to keep it tender and preserve the signature color of the dish.
Do not let the finished sauce boil.
Once the egg yolk and cream liaison is added, the sauce must never reach a boil, or the egg will scramble and break the luxurious, glossy texture of the velouté.
From Cook French in America.