The Preparation of Clarified Consommé for Clear Soups

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-quart (7.5 L) tall, heavy-bottomed stockpot
• •3-quart (2.8 L) clean saucepan or heatproof receiving bowl
• •Food processor or meat grinder
• •Poultry shears and sturdy cutting board
• •Long heatproof spoon or flat-edged spatula
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Clean muslin or four layers of fine cheesecloth
• •Ladle
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and degrease

   Begin with the Ordinary Consommé completely cold. Lift away every patch of congealed fat, then measure the required 10 cups (2.4 L); fat left in the broth slips through the clarification and leaves a greasy haze. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) for loosening the beef mixture and keep everything cold.

   A broth that sets softly in the cold is exactly right. That gel is gelatin, not fat, and it will melt cleanly as the pot warms.
2. 2

   Prepare the clarification

   Pulse the chilled lean beef in short bursts until finely minced, but stop before it becomes a smooth paste. Transfer it to a bowl and work in the egg white, followed by the reserved cold consommé, until the mixture is loose and evenly combined. Fold in the cut chicken carcass. The old mortar crushed meat and bones together; poultry shears and a processor used separately give the home cook the same exposed surfaces without putting bones near a blade.

3. 3

   Combine while cold

   Put the beef, egg white, and carcass mixture into a tall 8-quart (7.5 L) heavy-bottomed pot. Add the remaining cold consommé gradually, stirring thoroughly after each addition so the clarifying mixture disperses through the broth rather than sitting in lumps. Scrape along the floor and into the corners of the pot.

4. 4

   Raise the raft

   Set the pot over medium-low heat and stir continuously from the bottom as it warms, preventing the meat and egg proteins from scorching. The broth will turn gray and cloudy, then the solids will begin gathering and rising. (It will look alarming. It is exactly right.) When the first bubbles appear at the edge and a raft covers the surface, stop stirring completely.

5. 5

   Simmer without disturbance

   Move the pot to the smallest burner at its lowest setting. Hold the consommé at a bare simmer for 1 hour: the surface should quiver, with an occasional bubble at the edge, but it must never roll. Don't stir, poke, or press the raft. If the heat surges, lift the pot off immediately and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes before returning it to gentler heat; a merely cracked raft will settle and the muslin will catch loose fragments. If it breaks apart completely and the broth remains cloudy, strain it, cool it quickly over ice, and clarify it again with a fresh mixture in the same proportions. Ça se rattrape, though the second pass will reduce the yield.

   One hour is enough. A longer simmer does not make the broth clearer and can flatten the flavor the clarification is meant to preserve.
6. 6

   Remove surface fat

   Take the pot off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Skim away any beads of fat resting on the raft with a small spoon, working lightly so the raft stays intact. A clean corner of paper towel touched briefly to the surface will lift the last fine droplets.

7. 7

   Strain through muslin

   Rinse the muslin in cold water and wring it well, then use it to line a fine-mesh strainer set over a clean saucepan. Make a small opening at the edge of the raft and ladle the consommé through the muslin without pressing the solids. Transfer the last liquid by tilting the pot gently, stopping before the raft tumbles into the strainer. The finished consommé should be limpid and pale amber-gold. If it contains a few visible specks, pass it once more through fresh damp muslin; squeezing the cloth only pushes particles back into the broth.

8. 8

   Hold or cool

   Use the consommé at once, or cool it rapidly before storing. Add any chosen clear-soup garnish only after clarification, since vegetables, pasta, custards, or dumplings introduced earlier would obstruct the raft and cloud the broth. Reheat gently without reducing it, then correct the seasoning for the finished soup. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Clarification can polish a strong broth, but it cannot give character to a weak one. Begin with a well-flavored Ordinary Consommé and chill it thoroughly so every trace of fat can be removed.
• •Choose very lean round and trim it without mercy. Marbling belongs in the roasting pan, not the clarification pot; melting beef fat coats the palate and dulls the clean finish.
• •Use the chicken carcass roasted if possible, exactly as the source prefers. Roasted bones reinforce savor and lend a gentle gold color, while an unroasted carcass produces a paler result.
• •The stirring ends when the raft rises. Before that moment it prevents scorching and distributes the proteins; afterward it destroys the structure doing the clarifying. C'est la même grammaire: movement first, stillness second.
• •Never press the raft or wring the muslin. Pressure increases yield by a few spoonfuls and pays for them with cloudiness, a poor bargain.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the Ordinary Consommé at least a day ahead and chill it thoroughly. The cold rest brings the fat to the surface in a firm layer, making complete degreasing far easier.
• •The clarified consommé may be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Cool it rapidly in a shallow container or over an ice bath, cover, and refrigerate once cold.
• •For longer storage, freeze the cooled consommé for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat gently to 165°F (74°C), without prolonged boiling or reduction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)