Clear and consommé

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There are soups and then there is the consommé. This crystal clear, golden liquid is the king of broths and it will be a sin to say that a consommé is like a plain stock. It is painstaking to make but tastes like ambrosia.

Chicken consommé
While the French like to make their consommé with beef, chicken is increasingly becoming the preferred protein of choice.

Ingredients
1 whole boiled chicken, skin and fat removed
1 onion, skin on, halved
1 carrot, washed and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk
1 whole garlic clove, skin on
A small bunch of flat leaf parsley along with stalks
1 bay leaf
3 egg whites
Salt and pepper

Method
In a saucepan, add the vegetables, the chicken and all other ingredients except the egg white, salt and pepper. Cover with cold water and bring to a gentle rolling boil.
Cook on a simmering boil for around 1 hour and 45 minutes. Always ensure that the ingredients are always covered with water. Strain the stock through a large colander, return the liquid to the pan, bring back to the boil and reduce by approximately one fourth.
Once the liquid has cooled to room temperature, refrigerator for an hour. Skim fat and other debris from the surface and add the egg whites and whisk thoroughly. Bring the liquid to a boil while whisking all the time and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the egg whites form a crust on the surface.
Using a piece of clean muslin, gently ladle the crust on it and slowly add the liquid ladle by ladle. Remember, do not try pushing the stock through. Return the clear liquid to the pan and reheat but do not boil. Refrigerate till it’s time to serve. While serving, it should be warm, but not hot.
Note: Do not use a muslin towel that has been washed with detergent.

Chinese Egg drop soup
While the Chinese do not use the word ‘consommé’, most of their soups are clear soups except a few which are thickened with corn flour. Perhaps the best example of a clear Chinese soup is a won ton soup (the literal translation of ‘won ton’ is “swallowing clouds”). Here we will use a chicken consommé as in the previous recipe and add the eggs after the soup is ready, this should not be confused with using egg whites while making the consommé itself.

Ingredients
4 cups of chicken consommé
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 green onions, minced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt to taste
A few drops of sesame oil (optional)

Preparation:
Boil the consommé in a heavy bottom pan, add the white pepper and salt, and the sesame oil if using. Cook for about another minute. Very slowly pour in the eggs in a steady stream. If you want the eggs to look like shreds, briskly stir the soup clockwise for about a minute. To make ribbons, do the same movement but very gently.
Garnish with green onions and serve.