Chicken Consommé with Basmati

Instructions

• There is elegance in simplicity and nothing proves that better than consommé. This clarified broth is full of flavor and while the process may seem complicated, it’s merely a matter of letting your ingredients do the work for you!

  Step 1

• Prepare rice according to package directions.

  Step 2

• Thinly slice green onions, reserving green parts; set aside.

  Step 3

• In large bowl, lightly whisk egg whites until frothy. Stir in white parts of green onions, ground chicken, celery, carrot and crushed eggshells. Add mixture to large saucepan; pour in broth.

  Step 4

• Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, just until ground meat mixture starts to solidify on top of broth (this is called a raft) and broth starts to simmer (it is important to stop stirring when raft forms and broth starts to boil or the raft will break apart and won’t remove impurities, so broth will remain cloudy).

  Step 5

• Reduce heat to low. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a hole in middle of raft to allow broth to bubble through. Cook for 30 to 35 mins or until broth is clear and flavorful.

  Step 6

• Line a fine-mesh sieve with a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Using a ladle, carefully strain consommé into bowl or saucepan (do not break raft while straining, as this will cause consommé to become cloudy). Remove any grease on top by blotting grease with a paper towel.

  Step 7

• Season consommé with salt. Evenly divide rice and shredded chicken among 4 bowls; spoon hot consommé over top. Garnish with reserved green onions.

  Recipe Tip

  Serve consommé with a splash of sherry for lovely additional flavor.

What is Consommé?

It’s easy to confuse stock, broth, and consommé, as we often use the words interchangeably to refer to the flavorful liquid but there are some notable differences!

– Broth: Broth refers to the liquid that results after cooking meat, vegetables, or seafood in water. This can be enjoyed by itself, saved for future dishes, or served alongside your meat dish. By adding a thickening agent, like cornstarch, it becomes a tasty gravy. A bouillon cube is essentially a reduced, powder form of broth — this makes it a great item to have handy just in case you need a broth alternative or want to give your dish a flavor boost.

– Stock: Rather than using actual meat, stock involves slowly reducing a liquid with bones and vegetables to get a thicker, more flavorful base.

– Consomme: Now to the question at hand, consommé is clarified broth. In other words, it is broth that is further cooked in order to remove imperfections. It’s that additional step that gives it its name — translated as finished in French. While the instructions may seem complicated, it’s just a matter of letting that raft collect all the impurities. Though it could be served as is, we gave this consommé a protein boost by adding shredded chicken.

A Simple Starter

Be sure to include this soup when Planning the Perfect Holiday Menu! It is a flavorful starter that whets the appetite without being overly filling, making it an ideal appetizer – especially when there are several courses on their way. So, whether you are planning a complete Thanksgiving menu or thinking of At Home Date Night Ideas For Valentines Day, you can’t go wrong with a simple yet satisfying consommé!   Looking for some more recipe ideas? Try our: simple rice recipes.