Consomme is a clear, strong broth made by clarifying stock through filtering. It can be made with meat or vegetables and is traditionally served as a first course in French cuisine. It is also used as a base for dishes like Consomme Brunoise and French onion soup. Homemade consomme can be time-consuming, but premade versions are available.
Consomme is a clear, strong broth often served as the first course of French dishes. It is made in stock but is clarified by filtering. The broth can be made with traditional meat or with vegetables. The stock itself is made by long cooking, especially of vegetables or meat bones to produce a broth.
Traditionally, the consomme also has egg whites added when the stock is cold. The broth is then heated, and impurities are theoretically supposed to stick to the egg whites. Once the consomme is completely hot, the egg whites tend to foam at the top. This is pushed to the side and the broth is then filtered again. The result is a clear golden to brown soup.
The double consomme is reduced by half of the original broth, which generally produces a highly flavored final soup. This takes a little longer to prepare, but many foodies find the experience well worth it. The rich and intense flavor is difficult to match.
A traditional French dish that uses this broth as a base is Consomme Brunoise. After the final effort, boiled leeks, carrots and celery are added to the soup and presented. While one can use a vegetable broth, it is usually often made with beef or chicken broth. The directions for serving the Consomme Brunoise also suggest warming the bowls before lading in the finished broth.
A very popular recipe including consomme is French onion soup. Sautéed onions are added to the brown beef rich consomme. The oven-safe bowls are covered with grated cheese, preferably Swiss cheeses like Jarlsburg or Gruyere, and a large crouton is often atop the dish. The soup is then finished in the oven so that the cheese melts and turns golden brown. The result is highly regarded and is a staple of many fine restaurants in the United States and Europe.
Consomme is typically used to prepare a chicken and pasta soup as well. Some cooks may prefer to add chicken bits and other vegetables. Typically, however, chicken noodles are a light golden broth with thin or thick noodles added at the last minute.
If a cook has the time, making homemade consomme can be a rewarding experience. He or she can, however, shorten the process by purchasing it premade. In some cases, quality and flavor can be affected by an overabundance of salt, but reduced salt versions are often available at health food stores.
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