📝 About This Recipe
A masterpiece of classical French cuisine, this Consommé Julienne is a shimmering, amber-hued broth that boasts unparalleled depth of flavor and absolute clarity. The dish features a fortified beef stock clarified through a traditional 'raft' technique and is finished with a delicate nest of precision-cut matchstick vegetables. It is a sophisticated, elegant starter that celebrates the chef's knife skills and the patient art of the slow simmer.
🥗 Ingredients
The Clarification (The Raft)
- 1 lb Lean ground beef (very lean, ideally knuckle or round)
- 4 large Egg whites (lightly whisked until frothy)
- 1/2 cup Carrots (finely minced)
- 1/2 cup Leeks (white part only, finely minced)
- 1/2 cup Celery (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons Tomato purée (acid helps coagulate the proteins)
The Base & Aromatics
- 2 quarts Cold beef stock (high quality, unsalted, and completely chilled)
- 6-8 pieces Black peppercorns (crushed)
- 3 pieces Thyme sprigs (fresh)
- 1 Bay leaf (dried)
- to taste Salt (fine sea salt)
The Julienne Garnish
- 1 medium Carrot (peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks)
- 1 small Leek (white part only, cut into 1-inch matchsticks)
- 1/2 small Turnip (peeled and cut into 1-inch matchsticks)
- 1 stalk Celery heart (cut into 1-inch matchsticks)
- 1 teaspoon Butter (for glazing vegetables)
- 1 sprig Chervil (for final garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine the ground beef, minced carrots, leeks, celery, tomato purée, and lightly whisked egg whites. Mix thoroughly until a paste forms.
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2
Slowly pour the cold beef stock into the meat mixture. Whisk vigorously to ensure the meat and egg whites are fully incorporated into the liquid.
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3
Add the crushed peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaf. Place the pot over medium heat.
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4
Stir the liquid constantly and gently until it reaches a simmer. This prevents the 'raft' from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
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5
Once the raft (the solid mass of meat and eggs) begins to float to the surface, stop stirring immediately. Use a spoon to carefully poke a small 'chimney' hole (about 2 inches wide) in the center of the raft to allow steam to escape.
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6
Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. The liquid should barely tremble, not boil. Let it cook undisturbed for 60 to 90 minutes.
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7
While the consommé simmers, prepare the julienne garnish. Blanch the matchstick-cut carrots, turnips, leeks, and celery in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes until tender-crisp.
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8
Shock the vegetables in ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their color. Drain and set aside.
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9
After the consommé has finished simmering, carefully ladle the clear liquid out through the chimney hole, passing it through a chinois or a fine-mesh sieve lined with triple-layered cheesecloth.
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10
Do not squeeze the cheesecloth or force the liquid through, as this will cloud the broth. Let gravity do the work.
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11
Degrease the surface of the strained consommé by lightly dragging a clean paper towel across the top to pick up any stray droplets of fat.
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12
Season the consommé with sea salt. The salt should be added at the very end to ensure the flavor is perfectly balanced without becoming too salty through reduction.
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13
Reheat the julienne vegetables briefly in a small pan with a teaspoon of butter and a tablespoon of the consommé just to glaze them.
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14
Place a neat pile of the julienne vegetables in the center of warmed shallow soup bowls. Carefully pour the hot, crystal-clear consommé over the vegetables and garnish with a tiny leaf of chervil.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always start with ice-cold stock; this ensures the proteins in the raft coagulate slowly and trap every impurity. Never let the broth boil once the raft has formed, or the turbulence will break the raft and cloud your soup. Use a very lean meat; fat is the enemy of clarity in a consommé. If your consommé isn't perfectly clear, you can repeat the clarification process with fresh egg whites, though this may slightly dilute the flavor. For a professional finish, use a mandoline to ensure your julienne vegetables are perfectly uniform in size.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Pair with a dry, chilled Amontillado Sherry to complement the richness of the beef. Serve with thin slices of toasted baguette topped with a smear of bone marrow. A crisp, high-acid white wine like a Chablis provides a beautiful contrast to the savory broth. Serve as the second course of a formal multi-course French dinner. Accompany with a side of micro-greens tossed in a very light lemon vinaigrette.