Consommé De Volaille Recipe

Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 4 liters of cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat (do not boil). Skim foam and impurities from the surface as they appear for the first 20–30 minutes.

Add halved unpeeled onion, halved carrot, celery stalk, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stems, thyme and 2 tsp salt. Reduce heat so the liquid barely simmers; maintain a gentle simmer (one or two bubbles breaking the surface) for 1¼–1½ hours, until chicken is cooked through and fragrant.

Carefully remove the chicken. Let it cool enough to handle, then pick meat off the bones for other uses (reserve if you like) and return any trimmed bones or skin to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to intensify flavour.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean bowl or pot. Discard solids. Chill the strained stock uncovered until lukewarm, then refrigerate until a thin layer of fat firms on top (about 2–4 hours or overnight). Remove and discard the fat layer. Measure out 1.5–2 liters of clear chicken stock for clarification (if you have more, you can clarify in batches). Warm this stock gently to about 60–70°C (140–158°F) — warm but not hot; it should not boil.

Prepare raft mixture

In a bowl combine the ground chicken (or very finely chopped breast), 4 egg whites, 120 ml cold water, the 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped carrot, celery and onion, and 1 tsp salt. Mix until thoroughly combined into a loose paste. This mixture will form the clarifying raft that traps impurities.

Pour the warm (60–70°C) strained stock into a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Gently stir in the raft mixture into the stock so it disperses evenly. Put the pot over medium-low heat and bring slowly to a gentle simmer while stirring occasionally from the bottom for the first 5–8 minutes to distribute the proteins; then stop stirring.

As the stock gently heats, the raft will coagulate and rise to the surface, forming a firm layer. Maintain a bare simmer — do not let it boil, which would break the raft and cloud the liquid. Simmer undisturbed for 25–40 minutes; during this time the raft will trap fine particles and clarify the broth.

When the raft feels firm and the liquid around and beneath it appears clear, remove the pot from the heat. Using a ladle, carefully make a small hole in the raft and slowly ladle the clarified liquid through the hole into a clean bowl, taking care not to disturb or break up the raft. For maximum clarity, pass the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth.

Taste the clarified consommé and season with additional salt (to taste) and up to 1 tsp white or freshly ground black pepper. If you want an extra glossy finish and slightly richer mouthfeel, temper the 2 egg yolks by whisking them with 30 ml cold water, then slowly whisking a few tablespoons of hot consommé into the yolks to warm them, and then whisk the tempered yolks back into about 250 ml of the hot consommé off the heat. Do not reheat to boiling. Note: this step is optional; it will slightly thicken and sheen the finished consommé.

Strain the finished consommé once more through damp cheesecloth into a warmed tureen or bowls to ensure absolute clarity.

Ladle the consommé into warmed soup bowls, sprinkle finely chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley on top, and serve immediately. Provide additional salt and pepper at the table.