Black Cat and Bramble & Hare

Blanquettes are lovely French preparations. The main difference between a blanquette and what we think of as a standard stew is the sauce. Where a typical stew often is dark, thanks to ingredients like tomatoes, red wine and beef broth, blanquettes swaddle braised meat in cream sauces. Meanwhile, the blanquette meat itself can broadcast the classic stew flavors, as it often is braised in traditional stew ingredients before joining the cream sauce in what always holds potential as a beautiful marriage. With a proper blanquette, you get two wonderful things — meats braised in things like wine and herbs, and luscious cream sauces — in one dish.