Consommé Mireille

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7-cup food processor
• •6- to 8-quart heavy stockpot
• •Fine-mesh chinois or sieve and damp cheesecloth
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Parchment paper and aluminum foil
• •1-inch (2.5 cm) oval cutter or sharp paring knife
• •2½-quart heatproof soup tureen

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the forcemeat

   Chill the food-processor bowl and blade for 10 minutes. Process the diced chicken with the forcemeat salt and white pepper until the meat becomes smooth and tacky, then add the tablespoon of egg white. Pulse in the cold cream in two additions, stopping as soon as the forcemeat looks glossy and holds a firm ridge. Weigh 6 oz (170 g) into a chilled bowl, then fold in the double-concentrated tomato paste until the color is even. This preserves the source ratio exactly: one tablespoon of concentrated tomato to every 3 oz of chicken forcemeat. If the mixture grows warm, greasy, or grainy, stop, chill it for 10 minutes, then pulse it briefly until it tightens; processing it further while warm finishes the break.

   Use double-concentrated tomato paste, not passata or loose tomato purée. Extra water softens the forcemeat and leaves the medallions pale.
2. 2

   Poach the log

   Spoon the tomato forcemeat across a sheet of parchment and roll it into a tight sausage about 1¼ inches (3 cm) thick. Twist the parchment ends, wrap the parcel securely in foil, and lower it into water held between 175°F and 180°F (79°C and 82°C). Poach gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). The water should barely quiver. If it boils and the log swells, lower the heat immediately; chill the log thoroughly and trim any porous edge later. Cool it, still wrapped, in an ice bath for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

3. 3

   Raise the raft

   Combine the ground clarification chicken, four egg whites, onion, carrot, celery, bouquet garni, peppercorns, and consommé salt in a cold heavy stockpot. Stir in the cold chicken stock a cup at a time. Set the pot over medium-low heat and scrape the bottom continuously in slow strokes as the liquid warms. After 20 to 25 minutes, the proteins will rise and knit into a solid clarification raft. The instant that raft forms, stop stirring. Open a 2-inch (5 cm) chimney in its center with the handle of a spoon so the broth can circulate without breaking it.

4. 4

   Clarify and strain

   Hold the consommé at the barest tremble for 45 minutes, with movement visible only inside the chimney. Never let it roll at a boil while it clarifies. If the raft splits, lower the heat and leave it untouched for 10 minutes; it will often close again. If the strained broth remains cloudy, cool it completely, whisk the optional egg white with ½ cup (120 mL) of the cold broth, stir this into the remainder, and repeat the slow heating without more meat or vegetables. Ça se rattrape. Ladle the clear broth carefully through the chimney and pass it through a damp cheesecloth-lined sieve into a clean pot. Do not squeeze the cloth. Skim away any surface fat and measure the result; there should be about 8 cups (1.9 L). If there is a little more, reduce it gently to that volume.

5. 5

   Cut the medallions

   Unwrap the thoroughly cold forcemeat log and cut it crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) roundels. Stamp each slice with a small oval cutter to make a medallion, or trim it neatly with a sharp paring knife. Dip the blade or cutter in hot water and wipe it between cuts so the red edges stay clean. Keep the best 24 medallions for the tureen; the trimmings belong in the cook's bowl, not loose in the clear soup.

6. 6

   Set the tureen

   Fill a 2½-quart heatproof soup tureen with hot water and leave it for 5 minutes, then drain and dry it. Arrange the medallions across the bottom and add the ¼ cup, or four tablespoonfuls, of saffroned Riz Pilaff (No. 2255), loosening the grains gently with a fork first. The separate pilaff is not disposable brigade scaffolding; its saffron, butter, and distinct grains are part of Mireille's identity.

7. 7

   Pour and serve

   Taste the clarified consommé and correct the salt. Bring it to a clear, decisive boil only when the warmed tureen is ready, then pour it steadily around the garnish rather than directly onto the medallions. This follows the source precisely: very clear, boiling chicken consommé poured at the last moment. Ladle three medallions and a small spoonful of rice into each warm bowl. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Begin with clean-tasting, unsalted chicken stock that has good body but little surface fat. A heavily roasted stock starts too dark and can turn bitter as it concentrates; clarification removes particles, not a burnt flavor.
• •Very concentrated tomato purée in the source means double-concentrated tomato paste in the home pantry. Passata and ordinary loose purée carry too much water, so the poached log spreads and its bright red weakens.
• •The log must be thoroughly cold before cutting. A warm forcemeat smears under the knife, while a cold one yields the clean red medallions that make this garnish visible through the broth.
• •Do not finish with parsley, chives, or pepper at the table. Named consommé garnish is exact, not fussy, and stray herbs interrupt the clarity you worked to build.

Advance Preparation

• •The consommé can be clarified up to 3 days ahead. Cool it promptly in an ice bath, refrigerate it covered, and lift away any set fat before reheating. It may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
• •The forcemeat log can be poached and chilled up to 2 days ahead. Keep it wrapped and cut the medallions while it is still thoroughly cold.
• •The saffroned Riz Pilaff (No. 2255) can be cooked 1 day ahead, cooled promptly, and refrigerated. Keep it separate from the broth so its starch cannot cloud the consommé, then loosen the grains before assembling the tureen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)