week six: clarity of mind and consommé

February 9-10, 2009

consommé is a clear, concentrated broth–often the color of amber–that is free of all impurities and fat. it is clarified using clearmeat, a mixture of ground lean meat, egg whites, acid and aromatics. Chef Pierre told us that while the acid and aromatics are important (and that a great consommé uses a stock made from roasted duck bones), the essential ingredients to achieve clarification are albumen, the principle protein found in egg whites and ground meat, and heat, which causes the protein to coagulate and clarify the stock. this coagulated clearmeat that floats on the top of the pot looking something like a hunk of meatloaf is also what oozes lovely flavor into the liquid during the hour or two that the mixture simmers to achieve its full flavor.

that said, consommé class was pure magic for me.

of course it was magic for the usual, hands-on reasons. Chef led us over to a large meat grinder that he showed us how to assemble piece by piece. he then demonstrated how to feed chunks of trimmed lean beef shank into the machine. “and then, we play with the meat!” he cried, asking who wanted the job of feeding the meat into the grinder, which was quickly taken by my classmate eva. “if the meat is not very lean, then the consommé will be greasy,” Chef said.

next, he whisked several egg whites (“it doesn’t hurt to use a lee-tle more egg white than the recipe says,”) until they were frothy and added them to the ground meat. he quickly cut a small dice of mirepoix, which he added to the protein mixture along with a large dollop of tomato paste, some crushed tomatoes and some homemade duck stock. with the utmost care, he dropped in some black peppercorns, salt, a dusting of dried tarragon and three gin-scented juniper berries, which bobbed at the top of the mixture like little studded buoys as he turned on the heat. he stirred occasionally as the frothy mixture slowly began to swell in the pot, poking at the clearmeat that was beginning to coagulate and muttering that it wasn’t yet ready.

i stared tirelessly into the pot, listening to Chef describe some of the common garnishes for consommé: sculpted molds of custard, julienned crepes, brunoise of assorted vegetables, thin noodles. all beautifully prepped, delicate pieces to complement the impeccable simplicity of the broth. the consommé would be “ready” when it came to a bubble. and that moment is also where one finds the true magic of making consommé. when the mixture came to a bubble, Chef carefully carved a small hole in the center of the clearmeat, or raft, as it is called when it comes to temperature. suddenly, a clarified, honey-colored liquid bubbled up through the hole in the raft and along the edges of the pot. the pure, clean broth flowed and bubbled like water powered by a current as the raft solidified further.

it was almost theraputic to watch the transformation that took place when Chef combined all the right ingredients with the right amount heat and care. the process requires very little fussing from human hands, which makes it fascinating because fussing is typically the chief job of a chef. on the contrary, we aren’t supposed to stir consommé after it comes to temperature; we just leave it alone for an hour and a half to gather flavor and purity as the raft draws out the impurities and gives up flavors and aromas to the broth.

when the consommé had cooked long enough, Chef gathered us around the demonstration table again to show us how to properly strain it using a small ladle and a chinois, or mesh strainer. “they say you should use a few pieces of cheesecloth, but i don’t really think you need to,” he said. (again, keeping human fussing to a minimum.) he tilted the pot so the broth all flowed to one side and started carefully filling the ladle and emptying the liquid into the strainer. aside from a few tiny flecks of oil on the top, which Chef said could be removed using a sheet of paper towel, the consommé was clear.

he ladled it into a bowl and carefully garnished it with royale, or a savory egg yolk custard he had baked in a small cylindrical mold.

the truth is, the best dishes are the purest and simplest; they are a presentation of a few fresh and finely prepared ingredients. so often it is necessary for a chef to fuss with a dish to make it look and taste just right. in the case of consommé, the protein and acid do most of the work, allowing the chef a little time to stand back, clear her head and admire such magic: the unfettered simplicity of a clarified broth.