The first "Blanquette de CWD a l'Ancienne" in the world!

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great pride that I announce the successful creation and almost immediate destruction of the world’s first ever “Blanquette d’Hydropote a l’Ancienne”. Blanquette de Veau a l’ancienne is a classic French veal stew and firm favourite, and as I was butchering my CWD a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the meat seemed similar in grain and colour to veal. Now it’s actually quite difficult to buy veal round here sometimes, what with the slightly weird British distaste for it, so I rarely eat blanquette these days. But this weekend, I decided to attempt to create the world’s first Chinese Water Deer (“hydropote” in French) blanquette.

There was no doubt that this was going to be good, but what was less certain was that it would taste like a blanquette. My two Greek guests having never eaten blanquette were unable to offer an opinion as to whether or not the desired result had been achieved. So it fell to me to decide, and it is with great pleasure that I can now reveal that Blanquette d’Hydropote a l’Ancienne is in fact a genuine blanquette and is absolutely fantastic.

View attachment 39013

So people who have access to CWD, I give you this recipe to make your lives better. If you follow this recipe, but substitute diced CWD for veal, and add something fatty to the stock (I used pork belly as I couldn’t find a trotter), which you remove before serving, you won’t go wrong. The inclusion of the leek in controversial, but up to you. The inclusion of the mixed cream and egg yolks to the sauce at the end is the real clincher.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/vealblanquette_92615

Hope you enjoy it!
 
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I've never used the drool smiley before, but now definitely seems to be the time...

Except that it is so ghastly to look at, whereas your photo conveys unmitigated scrumptiousness.

Very much the proper end of a good stalk.
 
It's really not a difficult recipe if you want to try it. But I wouldn't use another type of venison for this though, I think it really does only work because of the particularity of CWD meat.

I may give my Greek chums some ground muntjac and ask them to attempt munty moussaka.
 
I was with you up to the point you mentioned "mixed cream and egg yolks".

Any of that wine left??

Cheers!

K

There isn't anything left at all I'm afraid, it was a rather successful effort! The egg yolks and cream beaten into the sauce just before serving are absolutely essential to give the sauce its' velvety feeling. I've just realised that I forgot to sprinkle a little chopped parsley on it at the end. Ah well. No-one else knows I intended to do that.
 
Lawrence you are a constant source of amazement to me and the membership, and I will say again a delight to stalk with. As the recipe was such a success I am looking forward to your booking again next year for another CWD......................only kidding.

Glad to hear and see it was a success, did you manage to liquidise it for young PM?? Got to start these young stalkers early you know!!

Best wishes

Malcolm
 
That does look superb - and hats off for seeing a similarity between the two meats and making an adaptation to the recipe. Many recipes are only ever 'tweaked' out of necessity/lack of ingredients etc.
 
Lawrence you are a constant source of amazement to me and the membership, and I will say again a delight to stalk with. As the recipe was such a success I am looking forward to your booking again next year for another CWD......................only kidding.

Glad to hear and see it was a success, did you manage to liquidise it for young PM?? Got to start these young stalkers early you know!!

Best wishes

Malcolm

That's higher praise than I usually receive in other parts of my life, so thanks very much! I may well book again and try for a buck next year, we shall see. I still have that first roe buck to look forward to though.

This venison cookery thing also has propaganda value: I made a sort of muntjac Wellington for my sister on Friday night, and although she doesn't really approve of my deerstalking, she absolutely loved it. And being an intellectually honest sort of person, she knows that she can't berate me for stalking and enjoy the products at the same time. In fact, she actually asked me a couple of questions about it, which no-one from my close family has ever done before. She asked me whether I ever stalked "proper deer", by which she means red and fallow, no dinky little weird ones. I explained that I didn't partly because of local availability (although there are loads of fallow), but also because I just can't logistically deal with them. Even if someone helped me drive them home, a large deer like that needs to hang for a while and I don't have the facilities. So I leave them alone for now, although one day I'll probably want to have a go at this, perhaps when opportunities aren't so few and far between.

The upshot of all of this though is that, as I've said many times before, as far as everyone else is concerned, what we do is only OK because we eat them. (My Greek friends did ask about tanning the skins though).
 
With you on the eating part. I really enjoy cooking what I shoot and the beauty of venison is that it is truly wild, although I do sometimes wonder about deer munching away on nice green wheat that was sprayed with fungicide the day before??? The wondering doesnt last very long. All fporms of wildfowl are equally good, but have never been too impressed with Phaesant - best curried in my opinion.
 
That's higher praise than I usually receive in other parts of my life, so thanks very much! I may well book again and try for a buck next year, we shall see. I still have that first roe buck to look forward to though.

This venison cookery thing also has propaganda value: I made a sort of muntjac Wellington for my sister on Friday night, and although she doesn't really approve of my deerstalking, she absolutely loved it. And being an intellectually honest sort of person, she knows that she can't berate me for stalking and enjoy the products at the same time. In fact, she actually asked me a couple of questions about it, which no-one from my close family has ever done before. She asked me whether I ever stalked "proper deer", by which she means red and fallow, no dinky little weird ones. I explained that I didn't partly because of local availability (although there are loads of fallow), but also because I just can't logistically deal with them. Even if someone helped me drive them home, a large deer like that needs to hang for a while and I don't have the facilities. So I leave them alone for now, although one day I'll probably want to have a go at this, perhaps when opportunities aren't so few and far between.

The upshot of all of this though is that, as I've said many times before, as far as everyone else is concerned, what we do is only OK because we eat them. (My Greek friends did ask about tanning the skins though).


As usual Lawrence I will do my best to get you onto a deer, or cull Roe Buck later in the year. Keep well and speak nearer the time. If you get a chance buy a buttalo call and I will show you how to use it.
 
As usual Lawrence I will do my best to get you onto a deer, or cull Roe Buck later in the year. Keep well and speak nearer the time. If you get a chance buy a buttalo call and I will show you how to use it.

You see, I needed something to put on my shopping list for Canada in June, so now I have an excuse to go to BassPro! Do Buttalos come in different varieties or is it just one model that fits all species? I need to research this.
 
You see, I needed something to put on my shopping list for Canada in June, so now I have an excuse to go to BassPro! Do Buttalos come in different varieties or is it just one model that fits all species? I need to research this.

Hmm you may not find a Buttalo in Basspro, they are not usually found to my knowledge outside the UK and EU. Having visited many Bass Pro and Cabelas stores over the last few years I can not recollect ever seeing one for sale. So you may have to buy one from a supplier in the UK. Cost is about £22 to £25 each. They do not come in different varieties Lawrence. However Roe calls come in a few different designs, and most work well providing you do not over use them when calling in a buck.
 
Hmm you may not find a Buttalo in Basspro, they are not usually found to my knowledge outside the UK and EU. Having visited many Bass Pro and Cabelas stores over the last few years I can not recollect ever seeing one for sale. So you may have to buy one from a supplier in the UK. Cost is about £22 to £25 each. They do not come in different varieties Lawrence. However Roe calls come in a few different designs, and most work well providing you do not over use them when calling in a buck.

Just my luck, probably the only fieldsports product that you can't find in America! OK, no problem, I'll buy one here. I'm pretty sure I can find something else that I desperately "need" in BassPro! I don't think I have any lures that are specifically designed for muskellunge for instance. And I have no illusions as to how pointless such an item would be, but Mrs PM probably doesn't know this.
 
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