Beef Consomme: Culinary School Recipe

Whip the egg whites until slightly frothy. Put the whites, meat, onion, carrot, celery, and tomato into a small stockpot and mix. Add the stock to the pot and stir well, then add the bouquet garni (you can either put the spices together in a cheesecloth and tie it up, or put them in a tea ball).

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the clarification from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stop stirring once the raft has begun to form on the stock’s surface. Make a hole (chimney) in the raft’s centre as it forms; this allows the liquid to boil through the raft, extracting as much flavour as possible.

Reduce heat to ensure a slow simmer. Do not allow to boil. Simmer for 1 hour, then carefully strain through several layers of cheesecloth. Serve immediately, or cool quickly, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once you have poured the consomme into its serving bowls, remove any fat droplets that have accumulated by carefully gently dragging the corner of a paper towel across the surface.