Consomé is the king of broths. The finished consommé is absolutely transparent, with a delicate aroma, distinct taste and a somewhat gel-like texture. To get such a dish, you will have to carry out a number of culinary operations.
Classic consommé
The preparation of a classic consommé starts with a base broth. It can be cooked on beef, veal, meat and bones of birds or fish. There is no only vegetable consommé. Bones rich in connective tissue and cartilage must be present in the "broth set" in order to give the consomme a gel-like structure due to the gelatin contained in them. In the Middle Ages, when the consommé recipe originated, broth was often made from game. The broth must be strong enough, so either a double portion of meat is put into it, or it is boiled for a long time. Mirpois is added to the ready-made broth - a mixture of equal parts onions, carrots and celery stalks, tomatoes and egg whites. Acid from tomatoes and albumin from proteins help to form a particularly dense clot on the surface of the consommé, called "raft" in classical French cooking, in which almost all clots that pollute the broth are concentrated. Soup vegetables add extra flavor. When the "raft" is formed, it is removed with a slotted spoon, and the consommé is boiled for about an hour. The resulting liquid is passed through a fine sieve, and then the smallest particles of fat are carefully removed. This is done both by cooling the consommé and by passing along its surface with sheets of edible parchment.
The classic consomme is served scalding hot, with sherry and egg yolk or a salty "royal" custard.
Chicken consommé recipe
Over time, the consomme recipe was greatly simplified; in the Soviet public catering, konosme meant a strong broth served with pies with meat filling. However, in the wake of the renewed interest in cooking, many housewives want to try consommé, which is as close to the classic as possible. To make such a strong, flavorful chicken broth, you will need:
- 1 large soup chicken with a total weight of up to 2 kg;
- 1 head of onion;
- 250 grams of peeled carrots;
- 250 grams of stalk celery;
- 200 grams of thick tomato puree;
- 5 black peppercorns;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 50 grams of parsley;
- 3 sprigs of thyme;
- salt;
- 15 egg whites.
In molecular cooking, the most modern of gastronomic science, consommé is usually clarified with a saturated solution of gelatin.
Put chicken, black pepper in a pot, herbs in a large saucepan, pour 5 liters of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer broth over low heat for about 5-6 hours, until it boils down to a liter and a half liquid. Add the bay leaf 10-15 minutes before cooking. Drain the broth into another saucepan, strain through a colander. Add finely diced onions and carrots, add chopped celery and tomato paste. Whisk the egg whites and place them in the consommé. Stir and cook over medium heat until a "raft" forms. Remove it with a slotted spoon. Strain the consommé through a fine sieve or folded cheesecloth. Refrigerate, remove the slightest circles of fat, reheat and serve hot. You can put boiled vegetables, dumplings, egg yolk, chopped herbs, mushrooms in the consomme.
