5 from 16 votes
Classic French Consommé
Classic French Consommé is a clear, richly flavored broth clarified with a raft made from ground lean meat, vegetables, egg whites, and herbs. This refined broth offers a clean yet deep taste achieved through slow simmering without boiling, resulting in a bright, polished soup base suited for formal dining or as an elegant starter.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:
16
servings
Calories:
182 kcal
Course:
Soup
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
- 5 quarts duck broth (or other broth, see above)
- 1 onion chopped, large
- 2 carrot chopped, large
- 2 celery chopped, large stalks
- 2 pounds lean meat cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 ounce dried mushrooms any kind, soaked and chopped
- 10 egg white
- rosemary chopped, 2-inch piece, fresh
- 4 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 12 ounces tomato puree
Instructions
- Make the raft by running the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and lean meat through a meat grinder, or by pulsing in a food processor until you have a rough mash. Don't puree it. Mix in the egg whites, rosemary, and bay leaves and chill for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.
- Pour the cold duck broth into a stockpot and add the salt.
- Mix the tomato puree with the raft and add to the stock. Turn heat to medium and bring slowly to a simmer. Do not let it boil under any circumstances or you will ruin your consommé. Stir every couple of minutes until the raft begins to float on the surface. This takes a while, like 45 minutes.
- When the raft has formed, poke a 1-inch hole in its center and let the consommé simmer gently for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the hole and clear it if it gets clogged with debris.
- Put a fine-meshed sieve over a container large enough to hold the consommé and line the sieve with a paper towel. Turn the heat to low on the consommé and ladle the soup through the sieve into the container. When you get to the bottom of the stockpot, pick out the raft and discard, then pour the remaining consommé through the sieve.
- Chill the consommé or serve immediately. Add salt to taste before serving.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Use a quality duck broth or similar stock as the base for best flavor.
- Match raft meat to the type of stock to maintain flavor harmony.
- Control heat carefully to prevent boiling and raft breakage.
- Leftover raft can be fed to animals safely.
- Consommé freezes well and can be pressure canned following safe guidelines.
Nutrition Information
Calories
182kcal
(9%)
Carbohydrates
5g
(2%)
Protein
26g
(52%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Cholesterol
68mg
(23%)
Sodium
1521mg
(63%)
Potassium
1061mg
(23%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
1382IU
(28%)
Vitamin C
4mg
(4%)
Calcium
20mg
(2%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 16 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 182kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 68mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 1521mg | 63% |
| Potassium | 1061mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 1382IU | 28% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.