Blanquette de Veau

[Rossmoyne]

Wikipedia says the term 'blanquette' comes from the French word for "white" (blanc), being a ragout (stew) with a white sauce. Other sources say blanquette comes from the french for blanket!? Today we were served a stew that was very brown when I was expecting a paler (whiter) version. When I queried this I was told haughtily that "there are many different versions". This may be so, but shoudn't they be vaguely white?

[butterflies]

A blanquette de veau is veal stewed in a WHITE sauce. This sauce is made of cream, hence why it's white. I don't think it was a blanquette you were served. What was the sauce like?

[Rossmoyne]

Thanks butterflies. The "sauce" was merely a mid-brown gravy, what you would expect if you were making a run-of-the-mill stew or casserole with any meat (it didn't help that there was plenty of gristle with it!). I guess I wouldn't have been brave enough to have queried it with the chef's wife if the price hadn't been so unreasonably high, but her icy contempt that a mere customer had had the temerity to question the food indicated that I would not be welcome to return!