Veal and Mushroom Fricassée

Pat the veal cubes completely dry with paper towels and season generously all over with fine sea salt and white pepper. Finely dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic, peel and slice the carrots, halve the mushrooms, and peel the pearl onions. Whisk the egg yolks together with the crème fraîche in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the neutral oil in a large, wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the veal pieces for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden on all faces; transfer to a plate. The fond that forms on the base is essential — do not rush this step.

Reduce the heat to medium, add 30 g of the butter to the same pot, and sweat the diced onion, celery, and carrots for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not coloured.

Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

Scatter the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, forming a light blond roux.

Pour in the white wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the base with a wooden spoon, and let it bubble for 3 minutes until reduced by half.

Return the seared veal to the pot with any resting juices, add the stock and bouquet garni, and bring to a gentle simmer. The liquid should come two-thirds of the way up the meat — top up with a little water if needed.

Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid left slightly ajar, and braise for about 50 minutes until the veal is fork-tender and yields easily to the back of a spoon. Check with a meat thermometer that the centre of the largest piece has reached at least 90°C — shoulder meat needs sustained heat well above the food-safety minimum for its collagen to break down into gelatin.

Meanwhile, set a large skillet over high heat, add the remaining 20 g butter, and sauté the pearl onions for 6–8 minutes, shaking the pan, until golden all over; remove and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the mushrooms in a single layer for 4–5 minutes until deeply browned and any liquid has evaporated; season and set aside.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked veal pieces to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Increase the heat to medium-high and reduce the braising liquid for 8–10 minutes until it lightly coats a spoon.

Remove the pot from the heat entirely. Slowly ladle two spoonfuls of the hot braising liquid into the egg yolk and crème fraîche mixture, whisking constantly to temper it. Pour the tempered liaison back into the pot in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Return the pot to the lowest possible heat and stir gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon; do not allow it to boil or the yolks will curdle.

Return the veal, sautéed pearl onions, and mushrooms to the pot, stir gently to coat everything in the sauce, and heat through for 2 minutes. Finish with the lemon juice, taste for seasoning, and scatter the chopped parsley over the top before serving.