CONSOMME OR CLEAR BEEF SOUP FOR 3 QUARTS

Heat oven to 425F. Arrange meat, bones, carrots, onions, turnip, parsnip in roasting pan and place in centre of oven.Bake 30 to 40 minutes,turning occasionally to brown evenly. Remove from oven and drain fat out of roasting pan. Transfer browned ingredients to soup kettle. Pour a cup or two of water into the roasting pan, set over heat and scrape up all the coagulated browning juices. Pour into soup kettle. Add cold water to cover meat and bones etc. by 2". Set over moderate heat. As liquid comes to a simmer,scum will form on top. Remove this for about 5 minutes or until it stops accumulating.Add the rest of the ingredients and more water if needed.(ingredients should be covered by 1")When liquid is simmering again,skim if necessary. Partially cover kettle, leaving space for steam to escape. Barely simmer gently for 4 to 5 hours,skimming occasionally.(Remove turnip after 2 hours. ) Strain the stock from the kettle into a large bowl.Let stock settle and cool. Regrigerate, uncovered, overnight or at least 6 hours. When fat has hardened on surface,scrape every bit off.

To make the consomme,use 10 cups of stock. The rest may be frozen in plastic, covered containers for use, later.

*INGREDIENTS*

10 cups cold stock

salt & pepper

4 egg whites

OPTIONAL;

1/4 cup minced green leek or onion tops

2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

1/2 tbsp. tarragon or chervil

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5 layers of well washed damp cheesecloth

a clean colander

clean 6 qt. bowl

clean ladle

2/3 cup Madeira, port or cognac

*DIRECTIONS*

TO CLARIFY: Degrease stock thoroughly. Taste for seasonong,add salt if needed.Add optional ingredients to stock. Beat 2 cups of stock in a mixing bowl with the egg whites. Bring rest of the stock to a boil in a saucepan.Then, beating egg white mixture, gradually pour on hot stock into egg mixture in a stream. Return stock and egg mix to the saucepan and set over mod. heat. Until stock reaches simmer, agitate it slowly and continually with a wire whip so that the egg whites,which will begin to turn white,are being constantly circulated throughout the liquid. Immediately the simmer is reached, stop stirring. The egg whites now wil have come to the surface.Gently move saucepan to the side of the heat so that 1 edge of liquid is barely bubbling. In 5 minutes,rotate pan 1/4 turn. Turn again in 5 min. and once more for 5 min..Line colander with cheesecloth and place it over the bowl. Make sure the colander will always be above the liquid surface. Gently ladle stock and whites into the cheesecloth, disturbing egg whites as little as possible. The clarified stock will drain through,leaving egg white particles behind. Allow to drain undisturbed for 7 to10 minutes, then remove colander and stir wine or cognac into clarified stock. Reheat and serve. Serves 10 to 12.

*INGREDIENTS*

10 cups consomme

2/3 cup sherry or Madeira

24 egg balls

EGG BALL INGREDIENTS

4 hard cooked egg yolks

salt & pepper

dash of thyme & nutmeg

raw egg yolk

butter

*DIRECTIONS*

CONSOMME VARIATIONS

(1) CONSOMME SAINT QUENTON

Heat 10 cups of consomme to a boiling point. Stir in 2/3 cup sherry or Madeira and serve in heated cups garnished with two egg balls per serving.

For egg balls; rub egg yolks thru sieve,season to taste with salt,pepper,thyme and nutmeg.Mix in enough raw egg yolk to shape into small balls the size of a small marble;roll in flour and brown in butter over low heat,rocking pan often to brown on all sides. Drain on absorbent paper and add to hot clear soup. You may have to double the recipe.