How To Make Beef Consomme

Beef consomme is a clarified version of brown beef stock, its color is clear, its flavor is intense and it is fat-free. Serve it in cups as a starter for a gourmet dinner. To make it more festive, I like to garnish it with small fried meatballs and risotto bites.

Jump to:

• What is beef consomme
• Beef Consommé: Canned vs. Homemade
• Difference between consommé and broth
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions with images
• What to do with the raft
• What is beef consomme used for
• Storing the Consomme
• Consomme garnishes list
• Meatballs
• Serving Consomme with rice and meat balls
• Substitute for beef consomme
• Tools you need
• Other recipes you may like
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📋How to make a beef Consomme

What is beef consomme

Beef consommé is a rich, clarified beef broth made by simmering stock with a "raft" of egg whites, lean ground meat, and mirepoix to remove impurities.

The result is a crystal-clear, amber-colored liquid with an intensely concentrated beef flavor and zero fat, traditionally served as an elegant appetizer or used as a base for gourmet sauces.

Clarification

A regular broth has a foggy appearance due to small solid floating particles of proteins.

The clarification of the broth is achieved by simmering it with whipped egg whites and some acid (I use lemon juice).

The acidity of the lemon juice and the simmering bring the small particles and the fat up to the surface.

They are trapped by the floating egg whites forming a raft which is then removed by filtering the broth.

Reduction

To intensify its flavor, lean minced meat and vegetables, usually a mix of mirepoix, are combined with egg whites.

The stock is simmered for at least 1 hour and reduced by half.

The broth becomes richer from the reduction and the addition of meat and vegetables intensifies its aroma even more.

Once the Consommé is filtered, all impurities are removed, its color becomes clear, and its flavor intense.

Beef Consommé: Canned vs. Homemade

While you can buy canned beef consommé (like Campbell's) at most grocery stores, there is a significant difference in quality.

Canned versions often contain high sodium, gelatin additives, and MSG to mimic the mouthfeel of real bone broth.

Authentic homemade beef consommé achieves its gelatinous texture naturally from bone collagen and offers a cleaner, deeper flavor profile that canned alternatives cannot match.

Difference between consommé and broth

The main difference between Consomme and Broth is their color and flavor.

Feature	Beef Broth	Beef Consommé
Appearance	Cloudy, opaque, often fatty	Crystal clear, transparent amber
Texture	Thin, watery	Rich, silky (due to gelatin)
Preparation	Simmered meat/bones	Clarified with egg white "raft" & reduced
Best For	Soups, stews, risottos	Served alone, aspics, refined sauces

Ingredients

To make a Consommé, you need the following ingredients:

• The beef stock you want to clarify: remember it will reduce to half so if you need 4 cups of Consomme, you need 8 cups of stock. Make sure all fat is removed. If not, put the stock in the fridge and wait until the fat solidifies, then remove it with a spoon.
• Egg whites: make sure they are at room temperature as cold egg whites will not firm up
• Acid component: I use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Lean meat: to intensify the flavor. You can also use wild game or duck if you want a stronger aroma
• Vegetables: normally mirepoix: a mix of carrots, celery and onion. You can choose other vegetables depending on the flavor you are after.

Step by step instructions with images

How to clarify stock

I make my beef or chicken stock in the pressure cooker and it only takes me 30 minutes to make.

I remove all the fat once the stock is cold.

From my homemade stock, this is how to proceed to clarify it:

1. With an electric whisker, whip the egg whites until firm. Make sure they are at room temperature
2. Add the chopped vegetables
3. and the lean meat
4. Gently fold with a whisk

5. Pour the stock into a large pan
6. Add the egg white mix
7. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice
8. Bring to boil whisking regularly
9. Once it boils make a hole in the raft so the steam is released while simmering
10. Let it simmer for 1 hour without stirring so the raft cooks without releasing any particles

How to filter a consomme

1. Once the Consomme is ready
2. Filter it the first time in a fine-mesh sieve to remove the raft
3. Then a second time filter it through a paper towel or a cheesecloth
4. Store in the fridge until you need to serve it

What to do with the raft

The raft is usually disposed of, but if you have animals you may want to give it to them.

However, dilute it by mixing it with some rice or pasta as it is very rich and can upset their stomach.

I gave some to Eddie and I found it hours later on the carpet in the living room.

What is beef consomme used for

Beef Consomme can be served hot or cold.

Serving hot consomme

If served hot, it is brought to the table at the start of the meal, not in bowls but in cups.

It is garnished with a few herbs and vegetables like parsley, carrots, truffles or more complex additions like meat, eggs, profiteroles, quenelles, ravioli.

It can be served by itself and enriched with truffles or Sherry.

The Sherry can be infused with hot chili in a separate bottle so guests can serve themselves.

Serving cold consomme

A cold consomme is made similar to the hot consomme, however, gelatinous bones are added to the egg white to make the consomme creamier, but not too solid.

It has a very light creamy consistency and should be stirred before serving it at the table.

Slices of lemon are served on the side.

Storing the Consomme

The Consomme can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

However, I always keep a stock in the freezer separated into portions so I can defrost as much as I want if I have unexpected guests.

Consomme garnishes list

There are several ways to garnish a Consomme.

These are the most common:

• Consomme a la Parisienne: garnished with small shredded vegetables cooked in butter
• Consomme with profiteroles: served with small profiteroles filled with a puree of meat or foie gras
• Consomme Bizet: served with chicken quenelles
• Consomme Monte Carlo: served with thin slices of round bread toasted, flavored with butter and sprinkled with Parmesan
• Consomme in Calabria: (not as common but my favorite) served with fried rice bites and meatballs

It is a tradition in my family in Calabria to serve Consomme with fried meatballs and risotto bites for Christmas.

It is a small warm appetizer full of flavor, meatballs recipe will follow below and you can find the fried risotto balls recipe here.

Meatballs

Meatballs ingredients

The ingredients for the meatballs are very simple:

• Breadcrumbs flavored with parsley or basil, garlic, and parmesan
• Lean minced beef: if you are not using a beef Consomme you can use other meat, but make sure it is a lean cut
• Egg: to hold the meatballs together
• Lemon zest: I like the addition of the lemon zest as it gives a subtle freshness to the meatballs
• Salt

Prepare the breadcrumbs

1. Blend with an electric blender a cup of shredded breadcrumbs with basil or parsley leaves and a garlic clove
2. Add the grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs
3. Stir with a fork to remove all the lumps

Make the meatballs

1. Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl
2. Mix with your hands until it is all combined
3. Place a small bowl of warm water between the tray where you will place the meatballs and the bowl with the meat mix
4. Keep the palm of your hands wet to make smooth balls

5. Take a small piece of the mix, the meatball should be small enough to be eaten in one bite ( 1 in - 2.5 cm)
6. Roll it into a ball and place it on a tray
7. Wet the palm of your hand again and roll the next ball
8. Continue until all the meat is rolled

Fry the meatballs

9. Place the meatballs in a frying pan (or basket if you have a fryer) leaving some space between them
10. Fry them until golden
11. Remove from the oil
12. Place on a paper towel to absorb all the excess oil

Serving Consomme with rice and meat balls

The risotto bites and the meatballs are served in a separate dish and everyone can add them to their own consomme cups just before eating.

They remain crispy and give the Consomme a nice extra texture and flavor.

I always make some extras as the children will often pick some more.

Substitute for beef consomme

While the classic Consomme is made with beef stock, any other type of stock can be clarified: chicken, games, fish or vegetables.

A vegetarian version can be made by using vegetable stock and the vegetables used will be the predominant flavor of the Consomme.

The color can also be adjusted by using different ingredients.

Infusing saffron will give it a golden tone.

Tools you need

To make the consomme, these are essential tools you need:

• Pan large enough to hold the broth and the raft
• Wisker to wisk the egg whites. I prefer to do it with an elecric wisker but it is not necessary
• Fine Mesh Strainers: to filter the consomme
• Cheesecloth: to remove all the fine particles

To make the fried meatballs:

• A blender to blend the breadcrumbs with the basil or parsley
• A deep fryer: not essential but much easier if you have one

Other recipes you may like

Here are other soup recipes you can serve as an Italian primo piatto:

Frequently Asked Questions

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