Consommé aux Piments Doux

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-quart heavy saucepan
• •Wooden spoon
• •Mortar and pestle, fine grater, or broad chef's knife
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Cheesecloth or a clean, tightly woven linen cloth
• •Clean saucepan for the strained consommé
• •Instant-read thermometer, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and defat

   Begin with stock that is refrigerator-cold and free of every visible patch of fat. Lift away the firm fat with a spoon, then draw a piece of paper towel lightly across the surface to catch any remaining beads. If the stock is merely cool, stop and chill it properly. Warm stock sets the egg whites before they can spread through the liquid and gather its impurities.

   A consommé can only be as good as its foundation. The stock should taste concentrated but not salty and should set softly when chilled; weak stock may become clear, but clarity alone cannot give it body.
2. 2

   Pound the capsicum

   Remove the stem, seeds, and white ribs from fresh sweet pepper, then finely grate the flesh and pound it with a mortar or the flat of a knife until it becomes a wet paste. If using preserved pepper, choose one packed in water or brine, never oil; rinse it, dry it thoroughly, and pound it the same way. Weigh the prepared paste after trimming. The 28 grams preserve the source proportion exactly.

3. 3

   Mix the clarification

   Put the lean beef, 5 egg whites, and pounded capsicum into a heavy 6-quart saucepan. Work them together until the pepper is evenly dispersed, then mix in 1 cup of the cold stock to make a loose slurry. Gradually stir in the remaining stock. The pepper belongs inside this clarification, not in the finished broth; the raft will carry away its pulp while leaving its perfume behind.

4. 4

   Raise the raft

   Set the pan over medium-low heat and stir slowly with a wooden spoon, reaching across the entire bottom so the proteins cannot catch. During the next 15 to 20 minutes, the mixture will darken, thicken, and rise into a pale-brown raft. When the liquid begins to tremble around its edges, stop stirring. Open a 2-inch chimney in the center of the raft with the spoon handle so the broth can circulate without tearing it.

5. 5

   Clarify at a tremble

   Lower the heat and hold the consommé at the barest simmer, about 185 to 195°F (85 to 90°C), for 40 to 45 minutes. Small bubbles should pass through the chimney, never break across the whole surface. Ladle a little broth through the opening and over the raft two or three times to wash its flavor back through. If the pot boils and the raft fractures, pull it from the heat immediately and leave it untouched for 10 minutes. Ladle off what remains clear and strain it. If it is still cloudy, ça se rattrape: cool it completely, whisk the 2 optional egg whites just until loosened, mix them into the cold broth, and repeat the slow clarification without adding more meat or pepper.

6. 6

   Ladle and strain

   Line a fine-mesh sieve with four layers of damp cheesecloth and set it over a clean saucepan. Ladle the consommé gently through the chimney and from around the raft, disturbing the solids as little as possible. Stop when sediment begins to follow the liquid. Do not tip the raft into the sieve and do not press it; pressure forces the captured particles back into the broth. Pass the consommé through fresh damp cloth once more if a faint haze remains.

7. 7

   Season and serve

   Skim away any remaining pinpoints of fat, then taste the consommé and add only as much salt as brings the pepper fragrance forward. Reheat it just below a simmer and pour it into warmed consommé cups. Serve it unadorned. The source gives no garnish, and none is wanted: the clear copper-amber broth is the entire argument. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a stock with real gelatin and very little salt. If good homemade stock is unavailable, reduce a sound low-sodium beef stock until it tastes full, then chill it completely and remove the fat before clarifying.
• •The source permits fresh or preserved capsicum. A ripe fresh red pepper gives the brighter fragrance; a plain preserved roasted pepper gives a rounder, slightly deeper note. Oil-packed pepper is wrong here because its oil works against clarity.
• •The exact proportion is one-half ounce of prepared capsicum per finished quart of consommé. For this two-quart home batch, that means 1 ounce, or 28 grams. More pepper does not make a better soup; it makes the broth taste blunt and can stain the clarification.
• •Judge clarity in a white cup under direct light. You should see the bottom distinctly through a copper-amber broth. A few fat beads can be lifted with paper towel; a milky haze needs the second egg-white clarification.
• •Serve this as a small first course before roast poultry or beef. A dry Champagne or restrained Crémant de Bourgogne has enough freshness to meet the pepper without overwhelming the consommé.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the beef stock at least a day ahead so it can chill completely. The fat will harden on the surface and lift away cleanly, which makes the later clarification far more reliable.
• •The finished consommé may be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool it promptly over an ice bath, cover, and refrigerate; any remaining fat will set on top and can be removed before reheating.
• •Reheat the consommé gently and never boil it after clarification. It also freezes well for up to 2 months, though it should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator so sediment remains settled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)