California Consomme Recipes

CHICKEN CONSOMME

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine chicken, egg whites, carrot, and celery. Stir to combine. Add 2 cups stock; stir to combine. Add remaining 6 cups stock. Place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil and a solid mass has formed on top. There should be liquid and foam bubbling up around the edges. Do not stir once liquid has come to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, and cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Ladle only the clear liquid into a damp cheesecloth-lined sieve. Do not press down on solids; just allow the liquid to drip. If any particles remain in broth, strain again in the same manner. The consomme may be chilled until any remaining fat solidifies on the surface. Remove fat, and discard. The consomme will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

BEEF CONSOMME

Steps:

• Whip egg whites until frothy.
• Combine egg whites, beef, mirepoix, and tomatoes in a stockpot.
• Add COLD beef broth, mix well.
• Put spices, except salt, in cheesecloth, tie to seal, and put in broth.
• Add salt to taste to broth.
• Bring mixture to a simmer (DO NOT BOIL) you should see a little steam over the surface of the broth, but no bubbling, or as few bubbles rising to the surface as possible.
• Stirring occasionally.
• The beef and vegetable mixture will eventually harden and rise to the top.
• Do not stir after this has happened.
• Break a hole in the beef mixture to allow broth to bubble through.
• Simmer approximately 90 minutes.
• Strain through cheesecloth, degrease.
• Adjust seasoning.

CONSOMME

Steps:

• Some Traditional Garnishes: Brunoise-Consomme garnish with small cubes of carrots, turnips, leeks, celery, peas, and chervil
• Cheveux d'anges-Chicken Consomme garnished with very small vermicelli and grated Parmesan cheese
• In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites slightly. Combine the lean meat, vegetables, tomato puree, herbs, and spices together. Mix in the egg whites. In a spigot stock pot, blend the cold chicken stock with the meat mixture. Place the stock pot on medium heat. Stir the liquid occasionally until the raft forms. (the liquid should reach 160 degrees F) Simmer the soup for 1 1/2 hours, making sure the raft does not break or sink. Remove the first cup of the consomme from the spigot to remove sediment and discard. Line a china cap with 5 layers of cheesecloth. Strain the liquid slowly. If the liquid is cloudy, strain the consomme again with fresh cheesecloth. Season with salt, hot sauce, and garnishes.

CARAMELIZED ESSENCE OF CELERY CONSOMME

Steps:

• In a non-stick pan, coated with a thin film of olive oil, cook the brunoise celery over medium heat until caramelized.
• Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, and set in an ice bath to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, onions, carrots, cooled celery, and the leeks with 2 egg whites and mix well.
• In a large pot, combine the chilled stocks. Add a small amount of the stock to the chicken mixture. Add the tarragon, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme and mix well.
• Transfer the chicken mixture to the stockpot. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chicken mixture forms a raft on top of the stock; do not stir after raft has formed. Simmer on very low heat for 20 minutes.
• Strain through cheesecloth and return to the stockpot. Reheat, removing excess fat with absorbent paper.
• Blanch the celery and potato paysanne in boiling salted water, until crisp-tender. Shock in ice water and drain well. When ready to serve, place the paysanne vegetables, in 4 heated bowls. Carefully ladle 4 to 6 ounces of the celery essence into the bowls.

TOMATO CONSOMME

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes, mint, garlic, lemongrass, chopped scallion and jalapeno in a blender and pulse until still chunky but releasing liquid.
• Line a fine sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth over a large container. Pour the tomato mixture into the sieve and let drain for 2 to 3 hours, or refrigerate overnight.
• Season the strained liquid with salt and pepper. Pour into shooter glasses, garnish with the grape tomatoes and sliced scallions.

APPLE CREAM CONSOMME

Steps:

• Peel, core and finely chop one apple.
• Saute with onion and curry or saffron in butter until soft.
• Puree with a bit of the consomme.
• Pour everything in a pot and heat slowly. Do not boil.
• Slice second apple very thinly to float as garnish.

BEEF CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Prepare clarification mixture Pulse chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor or mini-chopper until finely chopped. Whisk egg whites until frothy, then add ground beef and chopped vegetables and mix well with your hands. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Make onion brûlé Sear the remaining onion wedge in a small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat on both cut sides until blackened, then coarsely chop.
• Clarify stock Pour stock into a stockpot. Remove the clarification mixture from the refrigerator and add the browned onion and the tomato, then add this mixture to the pot. Set over medium-high heat and whisk briskly until thoroughly incorporated with the stock. Use a wooden spoon to stir at a slower speed until the solids rise to the top, then stop stirring. Continue cooking until frothy bubbles start to form around the sides of the raft. Reduce heat to medium-low and use a spoon or a ladle to make a hole in the raft so the consommé can bubble freely, and you can see the color and clarity of the broth. At this point the broth should be clear; further simmering is to develop more flavor.
• Remove raft and strain consommé Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the raft starts to sink a bit. Ladle the consommé from the pot through the hole in the raft (or you can crack it at this point, since it has solidified) into a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a heatproof container. Discard the raft. Then strain broth again, this time through a coffee filter. Remove fat by sweeping a paper towel across top of consommé several times. Reheat if necessary. Season with salt and garnish as desired. If not serving immediately, allow consommé to cool and then refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Before using, remove and discard solidified fat that has accumulated at the top and reheat consommé over gentle heat, just until hot.
• Follow the directions above for beef consommé, substituting ground chicken and chicken stock for the ground beef and beef stock.
• Use only coarse salt to season consommé; iodized (table) salt will cause it to turn cloudy.
• The clarification mixture should be kept as cold as possible until needed (always add tomato, or other acidic ingredient, just before using, since it will cause the egg whites to coagulate too soon).
• Monitor the temperature of the consommé as it cooks to make sure it is at a gentle simmer.

CONSOMME JULIENNE A LA KENNEDY

Steps:

• Peel and cut all the vegetables into very thin strips, julienne, about 2 inches long.
• Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over low heat.
• Add vegetables, salt, pepper and sugar.
• Cover and cook till vegetables are tender.
• Put in bottom of bowl.
• Pour over hot consommé.
• Garnish with bit of parsley.

FRENCH CONSOMME

Steps:

• Put the beaf with the bones in a pot with the water.
• add salt and boil slowly.
• remove the scum from the top as it is formed.
• add the vegetables and cook slowly for 3 hours.
• remove the bones
• place the mixture in a blender.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CONSOMME

Steps:

• Put bones in kettle and add cold water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer 1 minute. Drain well. Rinse bones under cold water and when thoroughly chilled, return to clean kettle.
• Add six quarts of water, peppercorns, carrots, leeks and celery.
• Tie cloves, parsley, thyme sprigs and bay leaves into bundle and add. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 5 hours.
• Strain, discard solids and skim off fat.

BEEF CONSOMME

Steps:

• Reduce the beef stock by boiling down to half in a large stockpot over medium heat with semi-open lid.
• Set the 2 onion halves on aluminum foil on a hot burner and caramelize the surfaces for approx 10 min minimum.
• They need to burn black, while doing so, do not lift off the foil to check. The rim of the onion will turn black and then you can check.
• This will not influence the taste of the consommé, but make the color dark brown.
• Chop all the vegetables (not the spices!) in the food processor till very coarse.
• Add the beef cubes and pulse several more times, but do not puree!
• Put the mix into a bowl and add the 3 egg whites. Incorporate the mixture well and add the spices.
• Whisk the mix into the warm beef stock reduction and let simmer without boiling.
• Carefully stir mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning, until the egg foam starts to rise to the top, about 30 minute.
• When the egg foam starts to solidify, make a small hole into the middle with a wooden spoon, this will keep the mass compact and easier to handle later.
• Continue to simmer, until the egg foam mixture is solid, about another 30 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat.
• Skim the egg foam mix carefully off the top with a slotted ladle.*.
• Line a sieve with dampened cheeseclothes or a cotton dishtowel and ladle the consommé 1 spoonful after another through the sieve into a big sauce pan.
• If for any reason the consommé is NOT clear at this stage, reheat and add 3 more egg whites to the consommé. This should pick up any left over particles in the liquid.
• Always move the fluids slowly and carefully.
• Repeat the sieving process, if necessary.
• Heat consommé gently and season with salt to taste.
• The consommé should be of a warm brown color.
• Best as a soup in a French gourmet dinner.
• * Do not discard the leftover solid foam etc, but let it cool down and let your pooch have a healthy, yet luxurious Sunday treat!

CONSOMME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put bones and meat in large baking pan and roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until nicely browned.
• Put vegetables and seasonings into large stockpot. Add browned meat and bones. Rinse baking pan several times with some of water, scraping to loosen all browning, and add rinsings and remaining water to stockpot.
• Bring stock to boil slowly, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 1/2 hours.
• Strain broth through double cheesecloth or bouillon strainer and refrigerate overnight. Residual meats, if combined with fresh vegetables in aggressively seasoned sauce -with, say, plenty of Madeira and Worchestershire sauce - will make quite good pot pies for freezing.
• Mix first 4 ingredients thoroughly and stir into cold stock.
• Bring stock slowly to boiling point, stirring frequently. Do not let it come to full boil; simmer very gently, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Add thyme and simmer 10 minutes more. Remove from heat, allow to settle and cool for 10 minutes and strain through double cheesecloth or bouillon strainer. (The residual solids can be used for pet food.)
• Reheat clarified consomme, check for salt, and serve piping hot in demitasses or small bouillon cups.