Beef Consommé With Herbed Crepes Julienne Recipes

BEEF CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Prepare clarification mixture Pulse chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor or mini-chopper until finely chopped. Whisk egg whites until frothy, then add ground beef and chopped vegetables and mix well with your hands. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
• Make onion brûlé Sear the remaining onion wedge in a small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat on both cut sides until blackened, then coarsely chop.
• Clarify stock Pour stock into a stockpot. Remove the clarification mixture from the refrigerator and add the browned onion and the tomato, then add this mixture to the pot. Set over medium-high heat and whisk briskly until thoroughly incorporated with the stock. Use a wooden spoon to stir at a slower speed until the solids rise to the top, then stop stirring. Continue cooking until frothy bubbles start to form around the sides of the raft. Reduce heat to medium-low and use a spoon or a ladle to make a hole in the raft so the consommé can bubble freely, and you can see the color and clarity of the broth. At this point the broth should be clear; further simmering is to develop more flavor.
• Remove raft and strain consommé Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the raft starts to sink a bit. Ladle the consommé from the pot through the hole in the raft (or you can crack it at this point, since it has solidified) into a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a heatproof container. Discard the raft. Then strain broth again, this time through a coffee filter. Remove fat by sweeping a paper towel across top of consommé several times. Reheat if necessary. Season with salt and garnish as desired. If not serving immediately, allow consommé to cool and then refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Before using, remove and discard solidified fat that has accumulated at the top and reheat consommé over gentle heat, just until hot.
• Follow the directions above for beef consommé, substituting ground chicken and chicken stock for the ground beef and beef stock.
• Use only coarse salt to season consommé; iodized (table) salt will cause it to turn cloudy.
• The clarification mixture should be kept as cold as possible until needed (always add tomato, or other acidic ingredient, just before using, since it will cause the egg whites to coagulate too soon).
• Monitor the temperature of the consommé as it cooks to make sure it is at a gentle simmer.

BEEF CONSOMMé WITH HERBED CREPES JULIENNE

Steps:

• Make consommé:
• Make 2 crêpes (procedure follows) with the herbed crêpe batter and cut them into julienne strips. In a baking pan spread the shanks, the onions, and the carrot, brown the mixture well in a preheated 450°F. oven, and transfer it to a kettle. Add 2 cups water to the baking pan, deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and add the liquid to the kettle with 3 1/2 quarts cold water, the celery, the salt, and the cheesecloth bag. Bring the water to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer the mixture, adding boiling water if necessary to keep the ingredients barely covered, for 3 hours. Add the chicken and enough water to cover the mixture and simmer the mixture, skimming it, for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is reduced to about 2 quarts. Remove the chicken and reserve it for another use. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids, and let it cool. Chill the stock, remove the fat,and clarify the stock.
• To clarify stock:
• In a kettle combine the stock, the shells, the egg whites, the scallions, and, if necessary, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring, simmer the stock, undisturbed, for 20 minutes, and ladle it through a fine sieve lined with a double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth into a bowl. Makes about 6 cups clarified stock.
• In a large saucepan heat the consommé over moderately low heat until it is hot and serve it garnished with the chives and the julienne herbed crêpes.
• To make crêpes:
• In a blender or food processor blend the flour, the broth, the eggs, the butter, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container, and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl, stir in the herbs, and let the batter stand, covered, for 1 hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes enough batter for about 16 crêpes.
• Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry. Turn the crêpe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crêpe to a plate. Make crêpe with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. The crêpes may be made 3 days in advance, kept stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.