Best Beet Consommé Recipes

COLD BORSCHT

Steps:

• Using a food processor, pulse beets until finely chopped. Transfer to a large saucepan and add onion, salt and 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until onion is tender, about 40 minutes. Add sugar and lemon juice, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove onion and discard. Pour soup into a heatproof container and allow to cool to room temperature. Adjust salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled, with chilled boiled potatoes added to soup, if desired. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

BEEF CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Prepare clarification mixture Pulse chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor or mini-chopper until finely chopped. Whisk egg whites until frothy, then add ground beef and chopped vegetables and mix well with your hands. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Make onion brûlé Sear the remaining onion wedge in a small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat on both cut sides until blackened, then coarsely chop.
• Clarify stock Pour stock into a stockpot. Remove the clarification mixture from the refrigerator and add the browned onion and the tomato, then add this mixture to the pot. Set over medium-high heat and whisk briskly until thoroughly incorporated with the stock. Use a wooden spoon to stir at a slower speed until the solids rise to the top, then stop stirring. Continue cooking until frothy bubbles start to form around the sides of the raft. Reduce heat to medium-low and use a spoon or a ladle to make a hole in the raft so the consommé can bubble freely, and you can see the color and clarity of the broth. At this point the broth should be clear; further simmering is to develop more flavor.
• Remove raft and strain consommé Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the raft starts to sink a bit. Ladle the consommé from the pot through the hole in the raft (or you can crack it at this point, since it has solidified) into a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a heatproof container. Discard the raft. Then strain broth again, this time through a coffee filter. Remove fat by sweeping a paper towel across top of consommé several times. Reheat if necessary. Season with salt and garnish as desired. If not serving immediately, allow consommé to cool and then refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Before using, remove and discard solidified fat that has accumulated at the top and reheat consommé over gentle heat, just until hot.
• Follow the directions above for beef consommé, substituting ground chicken and chicken stock for the ground beef and beef stock.
• Use only coarse salt to season consommé; iodized (table) salt will cause it to turn cloudy.
• The clarification mixture should be kept as cold as possible until needed (always add tomato, or other acidic ingredient, just before using, since it will cause the egg whites to coagulate too soon).
• Monitor the temperature of the consommé as it cooks to make sure it is at a gentle simmer.

BEEF CONSOMME

Steps:

• Reduce the beef stock by boiling down to half in a large stockpot over medium heat with semi-open lid.
• Set the 2 onion halves on aluminum foil on a hot burner and caramelize the surfaces for approx 10 min minimum.
• They need to burn black, while doing so, do not lift off the foil to check. The rim of the onion will turn black and then you can check.
• This will not influence the taste of the consommé, but make the color dark brown.
• Chop all the vegetables (not the spices!) in the food processor till very coarse.
• Add the beef cubes and pulse several more times, but do not puree!
• Put the mix into a bowl and add the 3 egg whites. Incorporate the mixture well and add the spices.
• Whisk the mix into the warm beef stock reduction and let simmer without boiling.
• Carefully stir mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning, until the egg foam starts to rise to the top, about 30 minute.
• When the egg foam starts to solidify, make a small hole into the middle with a wooden spoon, this will keep the mass compact and easier to handle later.
• Continue to simmer, until the egg foam mixture is solid, about another 30 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat.
• Skim the egg foam mix carefully off the top with a slotted ladle.*.
• Line a sieve with dampened cheeseclothes or a cotton dishtowel and ladle the consommé 1 spoonful after another through the sieve into a big sauce pan.
• If for any reason the consommé is NOT clear at this stage, reheat and add 3 more egg whites to the consommé. This should pick up any left over particles in the liquid.
• Always move the fluids slowly and carefully.
• Repeat the sieving process, if necessary.
• Heat consommé gently and season with salt to taste.
• The consommé should be of a warm brown color.
• Best as a soup in a French gourmet dinner.
• * Do not discard the leftover solid foam etc, but let it cool down and let your pooch have a healthy, yet luxurious Sunday treat!