www.epicureantable.com

beef - consommé

t=teaspoon T=tablespoon + -=more or less

These recipes are for your personal use only and may not be added in any form to archives or other works.

Classic Beef Consommé

Making your own crystal clear consommé is not difficult - it only needs a very large pot and time! Excellent as a light starter, or for making sauces or moistening meat - many uses.

serves a small army (freeze some, refrigerate the rest)
preheat oven to 200°C.

2 kg beef bones
2 onions, peeled and halved
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
8 litre water
Sherry, to taste

Place the bones and onion halves on a baking sheet.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour until bones and onions are dark brown.

Transfer into a very pot. Add the chopped celery and carrots, bay leaves, black peppercorns and 5 litres of the water. Allow to simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours.

Pour in remaining 3 litres of hot water. Simmer, uncovered, for another 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve.

Cool and skim away any fat on the surface.

Note: It is very important that the consommé is brought to the boil then immediately turn down the heat to a simmer. Any water added must be hot or preferably almost simmering hot - this will help keep a crystal clear consommé. If your consommé clouds, most likely you allowed it to boil. To clear: add a stiffly beaten egg white and a clean egg shell. Simmer gently for 20 minutes then re-strain. Heat only the amount needed.

Serve in consommé cups or small deep bowls.

Variations:

Add 1 teaspoon of dry sherry per bowl and serve garnished with chopped parsley, chive or julienne strips of smoked salmon for a Banquet Consommé.
Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cognac per person to the pot and allow to simmer gently 2 minutes before serving.
Finely diced or chopped vegetables such as celery, carrot or onion can be simmered until tender for a Consommé Jardiniere (Garden Consommé).
Cook vermicelli noodles until tender for a Consommé au Vermicelli.
Mini dumplings, duxelles, egg custard cubes or croutons are also classic garnishes.

All recipes are excerpts from "Welcome to My Kitchen" - The Epicurean Table and are copyright of the author. Recipes are not to be

added to any form of archive or other works of any kind. Contact the author for further information.