ReceptnaptárConsommé (clear beef broth)
Consommé is the most technical soup in Hungarian cooking: the egg-white clarification is what makes it crystal clear, and this step decides whether you end up with an elegant consommé or just a cloudy broth.
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Ingredients
Method
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- Cover the beef, bones and chicken trimmings with cold water, bring slowly to the boil and skim off the foam that forms on top.
- Add the vegetables and the unpeeled onion (this gives the soup its lovely golden colour), season with salt and cook uncovered over very low heat for about another 3.5 hours.
- When the meat is tender, strain the broth and take out the meat and vegetables.
- In a separate pan, mix the minced beef, egg whites, tomato purée and cold water.
- Slowly pour the strained, lukewarm broth into this mixture, then bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
- Once it boils, cook for another hour over very low heat without stirring - the protein that gathers on the surface pulls with it the tiny particles that make the broth cloudy.
- Carefully strain through a clean tea towel to get a crystal-clear, amber broth.
- Once cooled, skim off the fat that has collected on top; serve hot, in cups, without a spoon.
Based on: A jó házikonyha (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- For the clarification, bring the minced beef, egg whites and cold broth to the boil slowly, stirring constantly — if you rush it, the protein can't pull the cloudy particles together with it.
- Once it boils, stop stirring: let a "raft" form on the surface from the coagulated protein, which filters the broth as it passes through.
- Add the onion unpeeled — this gives the broth its lovely golden colour without adding a caramelised taste.
- Freezes well for up to 2-3 months; once thawed, don't reboil it for too long, as prolonged reheating dulls the flavour of freshly clarified broth.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my consommé still cloudy after clarifying?
Either it boiled too hard during clarification (breaking up the raft), or it was strained only through a sieve instead of a clean tea towel.
What can I do with the boiled meat and vegetables?
They make an excellent soup garnish, can be pan-fried or turned into a pâté, and the vegetables can be served as a side dish with a sauce.
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