Veal in a Pale Cream Sauce

Remove the thick membranes from the shoulder, weigh out 800 g veal, and cut into pieces about 4 cm across. Slice 250 g peeled carrots about 1.5 cm thick and quarter 150 g peeled onion. Clean 250 g mushrooms and halve them, cutting larger ones into quarters. Prepare a tall pot with a capacity of about 4 l and a base diameter of about 18–20 cm, a frying pan about 24 cm across, a saucepan with a capacity of about 2 l, and a sieve set over a bowl for the broth.

Place the veal, carrots, and onion in the pot, add 2 bay leaves and 3 thyme sprigs, and pour in all 900 ml water. Add 8 g salt and slowly bring to a boil, without browning the meat first. Skim the protein foam from the surface with a spoon and dispose of it, leaving the liquid and all the pieces in the pot. Reduce the heat so the broth barely simmers and does not bubble vigorously.

Cook over low heat, covered, for 90–110 minutes, turning the meat pieces once or twice so they sit evenly in the liquid. The veal should separate easily under pressure from a fork, and the carrots and onion should be soft; do not stop cooking while the meat is still tough. If needed, continue the gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, without adding more water. Toward the end, prepare the mushrooms as described in the next step so they cook during the final minutes of the meat's cooking time.

Melt 20 g butter in the frying pan over medium-low heat. Add all the mushrooms and the remaining 2 g salt, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until they soften and release their juices. Do not brown them deeply, and do not pour off the liquid from the pan. Keep everything, including the butter and juices, to combine with the veal.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked veal and all the carrots and onion to a separate bowl, and cover briefly while making the sauce. Strain the broth through a sieve over a second bowl and keep all the liquid; do not pour off any fat. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and add any edible pieces of meat or vegetables caught in the sieve to the reserved ingredients. Do not replace this broth with fresh stock or water.

Melt the remaining 50 g butter in the saucepan over low heat. Add all 50 g flour and whisk for 2 minutes until a pale, smooth paste forms, without any golden or brown color. Add the reserved warm broth in several additions, whisking smooth each time, until all the liquid is used. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, so the flour cooks through and the sauce is smooth and coats a spoon; if needed, thicken it for about 5 more minutes over low heat.

Pour all the sauce into the pot and add the reserved meat, carrots, onion, and all the mushrooms with their butter and juices. Stir in 150 ml cream, 20 ml lemon juice, and 1 g white pepper. Heat over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring gently, until all the pieces are hot and the sauce is uniform, pale, and creamy, without separating; do not let it boil vigorously. Do not add egg yolks, extra liquid, or seasonings outside the ingredient list.

Divide the dish among four deep plates, distributing the veal, vegetables, and sauce evenly. Serve hot. The sauce should coat the pieces of meat, not form a separate layer of fat.