Ooh la la, consommé !

It’s taken me a while,  I’ve ordered it in restaurants time and time again, it’s my sort of  beauty.  To me, consommé represents the taste without the richness and to achieve that goal in a home kitchen for whatever reason completely had me gob smacked.  I will admit I had, in fact, never tried it until very recently. 

So…. I love gorgeous stocks, I go weak at the knees when faced with a beautifully balanced sauce of my own making and to present a clear (crystal clear I might add) consommé … it’s basics I know but I hadn’t even tried. 

All it takes (this is my version I might add) is a very serious stock, left in the fridge to set, strain off the fat layer, aromatics and spices then boil, adding a egg white.  Strain again with a fine scrupulously clean cloth and viola! 

For this dish I had slow cooked beef short ribs. My previous version was similar with lamb shank.  Both times the consommé, meat and end result were sublime.  There is a slight balancing act to be accomplished in the final moments (salt, sweet, acidity, the usual and invariably relies on good sherry vinegar and pernod).  By gosh I love consommé.  Always have and always will.  To know I can knock one out any old time makes me a very happy woman indeed.  

Any 'bits' in the clear liquor from the photo are a fallout from the beef itself and ... (note to self) - served with soft cooked leek, cherry tomatoes skin off and tomato skin crisply cooked, a little reduced until sticky stock mixed in with the beef as a separate seasoning.   Divine.  Utterly DIVINE.