HOW TO MAKE CONSOMMÉ
Consommé is nothing more than clarified broth, and therefore it is made in two steps - first the broth, then the clarification. For this purpose you will need one set of ingredients for broth and one set for clarification. Consommé should be very rich in flavor, which is achieved by including several aromatic ingredients in the clarification mix. So, a combination of flavorful high-quality produce in both the broth and the clarifying agent will give the best result. Two critical factors for getting a nice consomme is to keep the soup at a slow simmering, and to cool down the clarification mixture in the lowest shelf of the refrigerator before use. And of course, a good quality stock or a freshly made stock is essential for success.
What is meant by clarification? It's simply a means to remove all the traces of small and bigger particles that float in the soup, and consequently to get a perfectly clear consommé. To do so, get yourself a combination of egg whites, mirepoix (chopped onions, carrot, celery), herbs, tomatoes, and possibly some freshly ground meat. Obviously, the sticky egg whites will bind all the particles and coagulate, after which this coagulated "lid" will float on the surface of the consommé and can be removed. What are all the other things for? Simply to give the soup another deal of fresh flavoring, which makes the soup much more tasty. Remember to cut the vegetables and other ingredients quite small, since you want a quick flavor extraction and also they will be removed easily. Also a note on tomatoes: they are needed not only for the flavor but also for the proper formation of the egg white raft. This effect is achieved by the acidity that tomatoes provide, but you could also use some other acidic ingredients (vinegar, lemon juice, etc.) if you want and if it better suits the flavor of the soup. These acidic ingredients are added to the clarification mixture just before use.
For consommé, use a heavy bottomed pan, and make sure it's also quite tall rather than wide, because you want more of the "lifting steam" effect in the pot to help the clarification process.
Here is a basic procedure for making consommé. You can use whatever ingredients you like, depending on your preferences or the recipe you are working with. There are many different ways to finalize a consommé, influenced by different cuisines, and you can surely find examples of them in cookbooks.
For 1 liter/1 quart of consommé you will need:
1.3 liter/quart of stock or broth (or make a new one, see our HOW TO pages)
For clarification:
200 g/7 oz mirepoix (onions, carrot, celery in proportion 2:1:1)
200 g/7 oz ground meat, or fish, or poultry
2-3 egg whites
some acidic ingredient, like 100 g/4 oz chopped tomatoes, or a little lemon juice or vinegar or dry wine
For additional flavor:
salt, pepper, herbs, bouquet garni, etc.
To make the consommé:
1. Prepare the clarification ingredients and put them into the refrigerator, on the lowest shelf. Don't add the acidic ingredient yet. You can use some stock to aid the mixing process.
2. Have your broth simmering hot (or prepare a fresh broth) and when it is ready, add the cold clarification mixture. Stir frequently until a raft starts to form on the surface of the soup. Observe that the soup must not be too hot because the process will be too quick. Once the raft masses start to form, stop the stirring and reduce the heat so you only see a few bubbles here and there. You must not have too low temperature either because then the particles that you want to remove will not raise to the top.
3. Allow the raft to slowly form. You can bath it with the stock by ladling it onto the raft. A small hole should form in the raft, but if it doesn't then make one with a spoon. Simmer until a nice flavor has set - adjust with seasonings if necessary. Usually it takes one hour or so to get the full flavor developed and the consommé cleaned. The raft may actually sink after a while because of its weight, but that's nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't break up.
4. Strain the consommé through a finely meshed sieve or a cheesecloth. Make sure to not pour the raft over to the strainer because the small particles may become released. Finally, degrease the consommé with a paper (possibly after refrigeration that will coagulate more fat particles and bring them to the surface). Season the consommé for the last time and serve it.