Consommé Madrilène Chilled Consommé With Red Peppers And Tomatoes Recipe 45

CONSOMMé MADRILèNE (CHILLED CONSOMMé WITH RED PEPPERS AND TOMATOES) RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Season the chicken stock with salt and bring it to a boil. Cut the leeks, celery, and carrots in a fine dice, or brunoise. Chop the tomatoes. Mix the egg whites, lean ground beef, vegetables (leeks, celery, and carrots), and aromatics (herbs, bay leaf, and peppercorns). This mixture is called a raft. Add some water and hot stock to the mixture to bring the temperature of it up. Then, add this mixture to the hot stock and stir it around. Before the mixture comes to a boil, stir the consommé so that the egg whites don't stick to the pot and burn and to ensure the protein is distributed evenly. After it starts to boil, simmer for 1 hour. Don't stir after this. Check the pot to make sure there is a chimney so that the liquid can bubble through. Remove the consommé from underneath the raft. Chill. To prepare the garnish, dice the red bell pepper and place in cold, salted water. Blanch for 10 minutes and chill in an ice bath. Peel, seed, and dice the tomato. To serve, ladle the consommé into a bowl and garnish with the red bell pepper, the tomato, and chervil or parsley.

CHILLED TOMATO CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Cut fronds from fennel stalks and reserve. Cut whole fennel (with stalks) in half lengthwise and core. Separate layers, reserving 3 or 4 tender inner pieces, and coarsely chop remaining fennel, including stalks.
• Cook onions, garlic, and chopped fennel in oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in puréed tomato, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
• Pour tomato mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-quart saucepan, pressing hard on solids and then discarding them, and bring tomato broth to a full boil.
• Whisk together egg whites, herbs, ice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until frothy, then quickly pour into boiling broth, whisking vigorously 2 or 3 times. (Egg mixture will rise to surface and form a "raft.") When broth returns to a simmer, find a place where bubbles break through raft and gently enlarge hole to the size of a ladle. Cook broth at a bare simmer, uncovered, without stirring (keep raft opening clear by gently spooning out any froth), until broth is clear, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and, disturbing raft as little as possible, carefully ladle out consommé through opening in raft, tilting saucepan as necessary, and transfer to cleaned fine-mesh sieve lined with a double layer of dampened paper towels set over a bowl or large glass measure. Discard raft. Chill consommé, uncovered, until cold, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Just before serving, season consommé with salt. Slice reserved tender fennel into thin slivers and toss with fennel fronds, pear tomatoes, and vinegar. Divide consommé and tomato salad among chilled bowls.

CHILLED TOMATO CONSOMME

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, basil, garlic and salt and pepper, to taste, into a food processor and run until blended and slushy. Put 4 layers of clean cheesecloth in a deep bowl. Pour the tomato mixture into the cheesecloth. Tie up the corners of the fabric. Add the slices of peeled beet root to the bowl to color the liquid. Hang the bag from a shelf in the refrigerator with the bowl underneath for a couple hours (or longer). Discard the beetroot. Ladle the consomme into chilled clear or white bowls and garnish each with a single piece of chive.