Game Consommé

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy rimmed metal roasting pan, about 13 by 18 inches (33 by 46 cm)
• •Tall 8-quart (7.5 L) stockpot
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Fine-mesh skimmer or shallow ladle
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Muslin or several layers of cheesecloth
• •Fat separator, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Half-roast the game

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Pat the venison, hare, and partridge completely dry, then spread them in one layer in a heavy metal roasting pan, leaving space between the pieces. Stud the skin side of the onion with the clove and set it cut-side down beside the game. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the meat once, until its surfaces are deep bronze but the thick centres and joints remain distinctly underdone. If the onion is still pale, remove the game and place the onion briefly under the broiler until its cut face darkens. The broiler is the home salamander here, and it has one small job.

2. 2

   Brown the vegetables

   While the game roasts, melt half the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook until their edges are well browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer them to the stockpot. Add the remaining butter and the mushrooms, keeping them in a broad layer. Let their liquid cook away, then continue until the slices take a deep golden colour, about 7 minutes. Pale, wet mushrooms dilute the fumet; browned mushrooms strengthen it.

3. 3

   Assemble the pot

   Transfer the half-roasted game and browned onion to a tall 8-quart (7.5 L) stockpot. Pour about 1 cup (240 ml) of the measured water into the still-warm roasting pan and scrape up every browned deposit, then add that liquid to the pot. Add the browned carrots and mushrooms, leek, celery, bouquet garni, and the remaining water. The liquid should cover the solids closely without leaving them adrift in an oversized pot.

4. 4

   Raise it slowly

   Set the uncovered pot over medium-low heat and begin a three-hour clock. Allow 35 to 45 minutes for the liquid to approach a simmer, skimming off foam and grey protein as they gather. Never stir, because stirring drives those particles back into the broth. Once an occasional lazy bubble breaks the surface, lower the heat and keep it there. If the pot boils and clouds, cut the heat at once and leave it untouched for 10 minutes, then skim and resume at the smallest tremble. Don't pour it out. Ça se rattrape: settling and a second damp-cloth straining will recover a clean broth, though its brilliance may be softer.

   A tall, narrow pot makes this easier. It keeps the game submerged and gives the impurities a smaller surface on which to gather.
5. 5

   Draw the consommé

   Maintain that bare simmer until only 10 minutes remain on the three-hour clock. Skim whenever fat or foam collects, working gently and never pressing the meat. Add the salt and peppercorns for the final 10 minutes, exactly when the formula calls for them; late seasoning keeps the long extraction under control and prevents the reducing broth from becoming harshly salty.

6. 6

   Strain without pressing

   Lift out the large pieces with a skimmer, then ladle the consommé through a fine sieve lined with damp muslin into a clean saucepan. Do not press the solids. Pressure forces spent meat fibres and vegetable pulp through the cloth, undoing three hours of careful skimming. Let the strained broth stand for 5 minutes and skim away the remaining fat. If sediment was disturbed, leave it for another 10 minutes, ladle the clear broth away from the bottom, and strain it once more.

7. 7

   Balance and serve

   Measure and taste the consommé. If you have more than 8 cups (1.9 L), simmer it gently until the flavour is concentrated and the surface carries a fine golden shimmer. If it has reduced below that mark and tastes too salty, loosen it a little at a time with boiling water. Serve it very hot in warmed consommé cups, plain and perfectly clear. No wine, cream, or decorative greenery belongs in this formula. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy working cuts, not tender loin. Neck, shoulder, breast, joints, and clean trimmings carry bone and connective tissue, which give the consommé more body than an expensive steak ever could.
• •The source permits mature wild rabbit when hare isn't available, and half a mature pheasant may replace the partridge. Ask the butcher to split the pheasant lengthwise through the breastbone and backbone, then freeze the unused half; this keeps the original proportion without inventing a different bird.
• •Have hunted game inspected carefully for shot, bone splinters, and damaged tissue before it reaches the pot. The final damp-muslin straining is essential with game, even when the butcher has prepared it well.
• •Keep the consommé plain for service. Its mahogany colour and clear game fragrance are the finish, and a small warmed cup is more generous than a large bowl allowed to cool. A restrained red Burgundy alongside the following roast sits comfortably with it.

Advance Preparation

• •The butcher can cut the venison and hare and joint the partridge a day ahead. Keep everything covered in the cold and bring it directly from the refrigerator to the roasting pan.
• •The finished consommé may be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool it promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate it, then lift away the firm fat before reheating to a full simmer.
• •For longer keeping, freeze the strained and defatted consommé for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat gently so settled particles remain on the bottom rather than clouding the broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)