Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [99]
2.Strain the stock through a sieve into a bowl. Discard the debris left in the sieve and cool the stock quickly by placing the bowl in a larger bowl or sink filled with ice water; stir occasionally as it cools. When you taste the stock, you will notice that something is missing—the salt. Once you add it, the flavor will sparkle. But it was deliberately left out so that you can reduce the stock if desired, without any fear that it will become too salty. If you are not reducing the stock (see page 206), add about ½ teaspoon salt.
3.Refrigerate the stock for 6 hours, or overnight, to allow the fat to rise to top of the stock and the debris to sink to the bottom. Remove the fat before using (and discard the debris at the bottom of the bowl). Divide into i-cup (250-ml) quantities and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Game Consommé
A dark golden crystal-clear broth infused with the intensity of game, this is a great consommé. It is perfect by itself as a first course, but you can dress it up by using the garnishes suggested at the end of the recipe. I like to keep consommé on hand in the freezer—it makes an impressive opener for a special dinner party.
6 cups (1.51) Game Stock (page 204)
1 small leek, trimmed and chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
3 flat-leaf parsley stems
6 ounces (175 g) diced or ground venison
2 egg whites
Kosher salt
1.Place the cold stock in a large saucepan and heat it just until it liquefies. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2.Place the leek, carrot, and parsley in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the meat, egg whites, and 2 tablespoons water and blend until well mixed. Stir this mixture into the stock and bring to a boil over medium high-heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the saucepan, to prevent the egg white from sticking. As the liquid approaches a boil, it will appear to curdle, don’t panic, that is what you want. As soon as the stock begins to boil, stop stirring, and remove the saucepan from the heat. The whites will form a congealed mass on the surface, which will puff up and then crack as the steam escapes.
3.Reduce the heat to very low and return the saucepan to the heat, making a larger hole in the egg white mass with a spoon to allow the steam to escape. Simmer very gently—you want to see small bubbles of steam break through the hole in the egg white mass—for 45 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
4.Line a sieve with a double thickness of damp cheesecloth or a dampened thin cotton tea towel, and place over a bowl. Using a skimmer or large slotted spoon, carefully lift off as much of the egg white mass as you can and set aside in another bowl. Ladle the consommé into the sieve and allow it to drip slowly through the cloth. As you get closer to the bottom of the saucepan, you might notice that the clear consommé is being muddied by bits of egg white. Don’t worry, just add it to the sieve. Check the bowl with the egg white debris and pour any liquid that has escaped from it into the sieve. Allow all the liquid to drip slowly through the sieve; don’t be tempted to press on the egg whites, as that would cloud the consommé.
5.You will have about 5 cups (1.25 l) clear consommé in the bowl and a mess of congealed egg white to discard. Season the consommé with about ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve hot, or allow to cool, then chill and serve cold. If you serve the consommé cold, you may need to boost the seasoning, as cold dulls the flavor.
Consomm