Consommé à l’Indienne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Six small baba-moulds or one shallow 2-cup (475 ml) heatproof dish
• •Deep roasting tin for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve lined with damp muslin or a damp coffee filter
• •3-quart saucepan
• •Soup tureen and small covered rice bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the royale

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and butter six small baba-moulds or one shallow 2-cup heatproof dish. Whisk the eggs and yolks only until united, then stir in the coconut milk and ¼ teaspoon salt without raising a foam. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into the prepared moulds. Set them in a roasting tin on a folded kitchen towel and add hot water to come halfway up their sides. Bake until the royale is set at the edges and quivers gently at the centre, 18 to 25 minutes for small moulds or 25 to 35 minutes for one dish. The water must never boil. If it begins bubbling or the custard puffs, lower the heat and add a little cool water to the bath. Ça se rattrape: the centre will usually remain tender, and any porous edge can be trimmed after chilling.

   Foam becomes holes in the finished royale. Whisk quietly, strain carefully, and skim away any bubbles before the custard enters the oven.
2. 2

   Chill and dice

   Lift the royale from its water bath and let it cool without disturbing it, then cover and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes, until quite cold. Unmould it onto a board and cut it into neat ¼-inch (6 mm) dice. If it clings to a mould, dip the base briefly in warm water and loosen the edge with a thin knife. If the knife drags or the dice slump, the custard is not cold enough; return it to the refrigerator and cut it later.

3. 3

   Season the consommé

   Warm 2 cups (475 ml) of the consommé in a small saucepan and whisk in the curry powder. Hold it at the barest simmer for 5 minutes, then take it from the heat and let the spice infuse for 10 minutes. Pass this concentrated broth through damp muslin or a damp coffee filter, then combine it with the remaining consommé. Taste it hot and add only as much extra salt as it needs. The curry should perfume the broth without burying its foundation. If loose spice makes the consommé look dusty, let it settle for 5 minutes and filter it once more; clarity means freedom from particles, not absence of golden color.

4. 4

   Ready the rice

   Have ready 8 tablespoons of Riz à l’Indienne (No. 2254), prepared according to its own entry. Place it in a small covered serving bowl and keep it warm and dry. Do not stir it into the soup in advance; rice left waiting in consommé swells, clouds the broth, and steals its seasoning.

5. 5

   Assemble and serve

   Warm the soup tureen, dry it, and place the cold coconut-milk royale dice in the bottom. Bring the curried consommé just to a full boil, take it immediately from the heat, and pour it over the royale without stirring hard. Ladle into hot bowls at once and pass the Riz à l’Indienne (No. 2254) separately so each guest may add a spoonful. The broth should arrive clear and golden, with the pale dice holding their sharp edges. À table!

   Pour and serve in one movement. Prolonged boiling concentrates the salt, while leaving the royale in hot broth too long softens its clean edges.

Chef Tips

• •Ordinary consommé is a finished clarified broth, not simply stock. Homemade is splendid, but a well-made prepared consommé is an honest home equivalent to the brigade stockpot. If the broth begins cloudy, curry cannot make it clear.
• •Choose a fresh, mild curry powder with coriander, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek in balance. A stale jar tastes chiefly of dust, while a hot curry paste changes both the clarity and the seasoning the source intends.
• •Use full-fat unsweetened coconut milk and stir it completely smooth before measuring. Coconut cream makes the royale heavy, while a thin drinking coconut beverage produces a weak custard that will not dice cleanly.
• •The baba-moulds contribute no flavor and their shape is cut away, so one shallow dish is the sensible home equivalent. The gentle bain-marie is not optional; it is the technique that gives the royale its fine, close texture.
• •Serve small portions in hot bowls and keep the rice bowl moving around the table. A dry Alsatian Riesling has enough fragrance for the curry and enough acidity to leave the consommé tasting clear.

Advance Preparation

• •The coconut-milk royale can be baked up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Dice it no more than six hours before serving so the cut faces remain clean and moist.
• •The curry can be infused into the consommé up to three days ahead. Cool it promptly, refrigerate it covered, and reheat it only when the tureen and guests are ready.
• •Prepare the Riz à l’Indienne (No. 2254) earlier on the day of service according to its own entry. Keep it covered and separate; the final assembly takes only a few minutes.
• •Do not freeze the royale. Freezing forces water from the custard and leaves the dice coarse and weeping when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 295g)