icon Beef Consommé
With Herbed Crêpes Julienne

from Singapore Airlines

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups beef stock, or follow the recipe below
  • For beef stock:
    • 4 pounds meaty shanks, sawed into 1-inch pieces
    • 2 onions, chopped coarse
    • 1 carrot, chopped coarse
    • 2 ribs of celery, chopped coarse
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • Cheesecloth bag containing 4 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of dried thyme
    • 1/2 lb lean ground beef
    • 5 egg whites, beaten
    • 10 chives, cut into 2-inch pieces, for garnish
  • For clarifying the stock:
    • 8 cups cool liquid stock, fat removed
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1 carrot, finely diced
    • 1 celery stalk, finely diced
    • 1 leek, finely sliced
    • 3 large egg whites
    • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
To make the stock:

  1. If you are using stock already made, skip to the next section. Otherwise, proceed to step 2.
  2. Preheat oven to 450F. In a baking pan spread the shanks, the onions, and the carrot, brown the mixture well, and transfer it to a large pot. Add 2 cups water to the baking pan, deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and add the liquid to the pot along with with 3 1/2 quarts cold water.
  3. Add the celery, the salt, and the cheesecloth bag. Bring the water to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer the mixture, adding boiling water if necessary to keep the ingredients barely covered, for 3 hours.
  4. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and let it cool. Chill the stock, remove the fat.
  5. Proceed to clarify the stock.

To clarify the stock:

  1. Pour the beef stock into a large pot.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the ground beef and the diced vegetables. Add the egg whites, and mix everything together with a fork until "a big mess" has been formed in the bowl.
  3. Spoon the "messy mixture" into the pot containing the stock. Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring while heating to prevent the "messy mixture" from sticking to the bottom.
  4. As the temperature rises, the "messy mixture" will begin to rise to the surface and form a floating crust, professionally called "the raft".
  5. Once the pot starts to simmer, stop stirring and allow the stock bubble up through the raft, allowing the egg whites to trap the impurities. Continue simmering for 30-45 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat, skim off the raft" and discard. Pour the consommé through cheese cloth to ensure all the bits of coagulated egg white have been removed. There should be about 6-7 cups of perfectly clear liquid. Finito!
  7. he Consommé will hold refrigerated in a sealed container for about 1 week. While in the fridge, it may form a gel. It is higher in gelatin than normal stock, which is what gives consommé its more voluptuous mouthfeel.
  8. YIELD: about 6-7 cups of consommé.

Serving options:

  • Serve with a thin slice of lemon
  • Serve with a dash of sherrry
  • Serve with liver dumplings, spätzle or gnocchi
  • Serve with julienne herbed crêpes. Use our recipe for Basic Crêpes.

To make herbed crêpes:

  1. In a blender or food processor blend the flour, the broth, the eggs, the butter, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container, and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl, stir in the herbs, and let the batter stand, covered, for 1 hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes enough batter for about 16 crêpes.
  2. Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and remove it from the heat.
  3. Stir the batter, half-fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry.
  4. Turn the crêpe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crêpes to a plate.
  5. Make crêpes with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. The crêpes may be made 3 days in advance, kept stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.

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Last updated: July 10, 2014