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beef consomme served with rice and meat balls
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📋How to make a 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.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine French
Keyword beef broth, beef consomme, beef stock
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Meatballs 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 152kcal

Ingredients

For the meatballs

Instructions

Prepare the raft

  • With an electric whisker, whip the egg whites until firm. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature
    4 egg whites
  • Add the chopped vegetables
    1 carrot diced, 1 stalk of celery, 1 onion diced
  • and the lean meat
    1 cup lean minced beef
  • Gently fold with a whisk

Clarify stock

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

Filter the consomme

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

Making the breadcrumbs for the meatballs

  • Blend with an electric blender a cup of shredded breadcrumbs with basil or parsley leaves and a garlic clove
    ½ cup breadcrumbs, 5 fresh basil leaves, 1 peeled garlic cloves
  • Add the grated parmesan to the breadcrumbs
    3 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
  • Stir with a fork to remove all the lumps

Make the meatballs

  • Put all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl
    2 cup lean minced beef, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 lemon zest, 1 fresh eggs
  • Mix with your hands until it is all combined
  • Place a small bowl of warm water between the tray where you will place the meatballs and the bowl with the meat mix
  • Keep the palm of your hands wet to make smooth balls
  • Take a small piece of the mix, the meatball should be small enough to be eaten in one bite ( 1 in - 2.5 cm)
  • Roll it into a ball and place it on a tray
  • Wet the palm of your hand again and roll the next ball
  • Continue until all the meat is rolled
  • Place the meatballs in a frying pan (or basket if you have a fryer) leaving some space between them
  • Fry them until golden and remove them from the oil
    vegetable oil for frying
  • Place on a paper towel to absorb all the excess oil

Make risotto ball

  • Follow the instruction from the recipe fried risotto balls
    12 fried risotto balls

Serving the Consomme with the meatballs and the risotto 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.
  • Serve the Consomme warm in cups

Video

Notes

  • make sure the egg whites are at room temperature as cold egg whites will not firm up
  • for the acid component, you can substitute lemon juice with vinegar
  • the lean meat in the raft with wild game or duck if you want a stronger aroma
  • for a more delicate flavor the mirepoix can be substituted with leeks and carrots
  • once the stock boils make a hole in the raft so the steam is released while simmering uncovered
  • do not stir the raft while simmering otherwise it will release the particles
  • store the consomme in the fridge, warm it up when you need to serve it
  • you can feed the raft to animals but dilute it with some rice or pasta as it is very rich
  • the Consomme should be served in cups, not in bowls
  • let the guests add their own meatballs and risotto balls so they remain crispy

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1068mg | Potassium: 600mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1334IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg