Birthday Dinner

Right. 35 years old. "Almost halfway there" someone at work said to me today. Yeah, well, I'm having the time of my life. So for all of you folks who say "Oh, I wish I were 18 again...", you can have it. Those folks seem to forget that when you were 18 you didn't have a house or money. But I digress....

I have been wanting to make Blanquette de Veau for awhile now. It's a classic French dish that comes out all white. No garnish. No sprig of parsley. Nothing. I guess it's supposed to make some kind of statement.

A few notes:

1) The recipe calls for 2 hours of simmering the veal for it to become "fork-tender". Mine was a little closer to 3 1/2 hours. The moral of the story: it's done when it's ready. Don't cut corners or it will be like eating a shoebox.

2) I STILL cannot find pearl onions. If you can, good on you.

3) For the dessert as in life: Don't skimp when it comes to booze. Buy the good stuff. Triple Sec is NOT a substitute for Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Don't put triple sec in your margarita, either, or you're just letting the best things in life pass you by. Insist on Cointreau!

The dessert was a variation on a frozen soufle Vanessa had somewhere recently. Hey... anything with Grand Marnier in it is a winner in my book.

Main: Blanquette de Veau

560 g pearl onions
84 g butter
560 g small white button mushrooms
1.35 kg veal neck or shoulder,, cut into 2-inch squares
1 bouquet garni (see Glossary)
1 large onion, cut in half and studded with 4 cloves
1 carrot, cut in half
1 celery rib
4 tablespoons flour

PREP
Peel the pearl onions, place in a small pot, and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Let it boil until the water evaporates (do not allow the onions to take on any color), then remove from the heat and set aside.

In the second small pot, repeat the procedure with the mushrooms, cooking them in water and 1 tablespoon/14 g of the butter just until they are tender. Set aside.

COOK THE VEAL
Place the veal in the large pot. Cover with water and add the bouquet garni, onion, carrot, and celery. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook over low heat for 2 hours, periodically skimming away and discarding meat scum, until the veal is fork-tender (meaning it can be easily cut with the side of a fork). Do not undercook. Do not overcook to mush! Strain the meat and set it aside. Strain the broth and keep it hot over heat. Discard the bouquet garni and the vegetables.

THE SAUCE
In the medium pot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, and once it has foamed and subsided, whisk in the flour, making sure it is completely incorporated. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not color the flour. Gradually add 1 cup of the hot broth, whisking constantly to incorporate smoothly. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil, cooking and stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the veal, pearl onions, mushrooms, and cream. Stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.

FINISH
Just before serving, place the egg yolk in the small bowl and add about a 1/4 cup/l12 ml of the hot sauce from the stew. Whisk well and add this mixture to the pot. Stir. Do not allow the sauce to come to a boil! Add the lemon juice, season again as needed, and serve with absolutely white rice.

Dessert: Grand Marnier Parfaits

2 cups heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons plus 8 tsp Grand Marnier
Grated zest of 1 orange
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Whip the cream in a chilled bowl until it holds a soft peak when the whisk is turned upright, Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare eight 1/2-cup ramekins by wrapping the outside of each with a parchment paper collar extending 1 inch above the rim. Secure with tape or string. Set on a baking sheet.

Whip the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light and thickened.

Meanwhile. combine the granulated sugar and 6 Tbsp water in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg yolks. Continue whipping until the mixture cools to room temperature.

Fold the 5 Tbsp Grand Marnier and the orange zest into the egg yolk mixture. Add one-third of the reserved whipped cream to the egg-yolk mixture and gently fold until incorporated. Fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Pour the egg mixture inro the ramekins to a deprn of 1/2 inch above the rim of each ramekin. Freeze for 3-4 hours.

To serve, unwrap the collars from the ramekins. Pierce 2 holes through each parfait and pour 1/2 tsp Grand Marnier into each. If desired, use a sieve to dust with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar and serve at once.