Consommé

Consommé is a stock or broth that has been cleared until you can see through it, and made stronger in flavor at the same time. It is a classic of French cooking and is served hot as a first course, often with a small garnish in the bowl. A good consommé is golden or amber, full of flavor, and has no fat on top.

How to do it

1. Start with cold, fat-free stock. Skim off any fat.
2. In a bowl, mix lean ground meat (or fish for a fish consommé), finely chopped mirepoix, a chopped tomato, and lightly beaten egg whites. This mix is called the raft. Use about 1 egg white per 1 liter (1 quart) of stock.
3. Stir the raft into the cold stock in a tall pot.
4. Heat slowly, stirring gently, until the mix starts to cloud and rise. Then stop stirring.
5. The raft forms a crust on top. Make a small hole in it so the liquid can bubble through.
6. Keep it at a bare simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, ladling liquid over the raft now and then.
7. Ladle the liquid out through the hole and strain it through a sieve lined with damp cheesecloth.

Why it works

As the egg white heats, its proteins set into a net. That net traps tiny bits of fat and protein that make stock cloudy. The meat and vegetables in the raft also add flavor.

Common mistakes

• Starting with hot stock. The egg sets too fast and does not trap the cloudiness.
• Stirring after the raft forms. It breaks up and the soup turns cloudy again.
• Boiling. Hard bubbles break the raft apart.
• Using fatty meat. Fat blurs the soup.

In recipes

A recipe that says "consommé" wants a clear, intense broth. Canned "beef consommé" is usually a stronger, gelled broth and is often used as a base for sauces. A bisque is the opposite: thick, creamy and blended.

Where it comes from

The name is French for "completed" or "concentrated".