Consommé Marguerite

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 3-quart saucepan for poaching
• •Clean 2-quart saucepan for the consommé
• •Fine-mesh sieve and clean muslin
• •Baking parchment and bench scraper
• •1-inch (2.5 cm) daisy cutter
• •Broad slotted spatula
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small steamer basket or heatproof plate and rack
• •2½-quart porcelain soupière

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare eggs and asparagus

   Lower the eggs into gently boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, then chill them completely in ice water. Blanch the asparagus lengths in fresh boiling water for 45 seconds, just until bright green and barely tender, then chill them at once. Drain and blot every piece dry. Shell the eggs, remove the yolks whole, and reserve the whites for another dish.

   The asparagus must be thin. Thick stalks will still be raw when their surfaces begin to soften, and they overpower the small chicken flowers.
2. 2

   Shape the sausage

   Reserve 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of the raw farce mousseline in a covered chilled bowl. Dust a sheet of parchment very lightly with flour, place the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 60 g) of farce upon it, and use a bench scraper and floured fingertips to roll it into an even sausage about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Flour the surface, not the interior; kneading flour into the farce would make it heavy. If the sausage is too soft to lift, chill it for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Poach at a tremble

   Heat a wide pan of water to 175 to 180°F (80 to 82°C), with movement beneath the surface but no hard bubbling. Lower in the sausage on a broad slotted spatula and poach for 10 to 12 minutes, turning it once, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Boiling makes the emulsion expand, feather, and split. If the surface begins to fray, lift the sausage out immediately, lower the heat, and return it once the water is calm. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Chill and stamp

   Transfer the poached sausage to ice water for 3 minutes, then blot it thoroughly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once firm, cut it across into thin roundels about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Stamp each roundel with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) daisy cutter, keeping the petals distinct. Work while the sausage is cold; if the slices buckle or smear, return them to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before continuing.

5. 5

   Form the yellow centers

   Push the cooked yolks through a fine sieve onto a chilled plate. Mix them with the reserved 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of raw farce mousseline until the crumbs just cohere, then press a tiny yellow bead into the center of every chicken flower. Keep the petals clean. If the mixture crumbles, smear it once against the side of the bowl with a spoon; do not add water or cream, which would loosen it into the consommé.

6. 6

   Set the centers

   Arrange the flowers in one layer on parchment inside a steamer basket or on a heatproof plate set over barely simmering water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, until the centers are matte, firm, and free of any raw shine. If a center lifts, press it back while still warm and cook that flower for 1 minute more. Transfer the marguerites to a clean plate, chill them uncovered, and blot away every trace of moisture.

7. 7

   Arrange the tureen

   Fill the soupière and serving bowls with hot water to warm them, then empty and dry them completely. Arrange the marguerites across the bottom of the soupière and distribute the dry asparagus lengths between them. Handle the flowers by their edges so the yolk centers remain neat.

8. 8

   Boil and pour

   Pass the chicken consommé through a dampened fine cloth into a spotless saucepan. Bring it to a clear full boil for no more than 30 seconds, skimming away any fat beads or foam without stirring. If sediment rises, let the pan stand for 1 minute, then ladle the clear upper broth through a fresh damp cloth and leave the final cloudy spoonful behind. Pour the boiling consommé slowly down the inside wall of the soupière rather than directly onto the flowers. Serve at once, with several marguerites and a little asparagus in every bowl. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The farce mousseline must be properly emulsified with real heavy cream and kept very cold. A loose or warm forcemeat spreads in the water instead of holding its sausage shape.
• •Consommé is not merely clear stock. Begin with broth that has already been clarified and fully seasoned; straining can remove particles, but it cannot turn a cloudy stock into consommé.
• •A small five-petal cutter is the honest home equivalent of the book's fancy cutter. Without one, cut five shallow V-shaped notches around each cold roundel with a sharp paring knife. It takes longer, but the flower shape is the identity of the dish.
• •Slender fresh asparagus gives the cleanest green accent. Outside its season, frozen thin asparagus tips are the honest answer; blanch them straight from frozen for 20 seconds and blot them especially well.

Advance Preparation

• •The clarified chicken consommé can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Chill it promptly in shallow containers, cover once cold, and remove any set fat before the final straining and reheating.
• •The chicken sausage can be poached, chilled, sliced, and stamped a day ahead. Store the flowers in one layer between sheets of parchment so their petals remain distinct.
• •The centered flowers and blanched asparagus may be completed earlier on the day of service and refrigerated separately. Cook the raw forcemeat centers before storing them, and keep every component covered once cold.
• •Warm the soupière, arrange the garnish, and boil the consommé only when the guests are seated. The final pour cannot wait without softening the flowers and asparagus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 255g)