A crystal-clear, intensely flavored consommé featuring tender smoked chicken and white beans in an aromatic broth. This restaurant-quality soup combines classic French technique with rustic comfort flavors for an elegant first course.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1 whole (1.5kg) smoked chicken
- 200g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts, sliced
- 1 head garlic head, halved
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 30g parsley stems
- 10 black peppercorns
- 4 egg whites for clarification
- 200g lean ground chicken for clarification
- 1 medium tomato, diced, for clarification
- 30g mixed fresh herbs (chives, parsley)
- to taste salt
- to taste white pepper
Instructions
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Remove skin and meat from 1 whole (1.5kg) smoked chicken, reserving bones. Shred meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate. Break bones into large pot.
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Add 200g dried cannellini beans, 2 medium onions, 3 medium carrots, 3 stalks celery stalks, 1 large leek, 1 head garlic head, 3 bay leaves, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 30g parsley stems, and 10 black peppercorns to pot with bones.
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Cover with 3 liters cold water. Bring to gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours, skimming foam regularly. Strain through fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth.
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Cool stock completely and remove any fat that solidifies on surface. You should have about 2 liters of clear stock.
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For clarification: Whisk 4 egg whites for clarification until foamy. Mix with 200g lean ground chicken for clarification and 1 medium tomato. This is your "raft."
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Heat stock to just below simmer. Whisk in raft mixture. As stock heats, raft will rise to surface, trapping impurities.
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Make a small hole in raft and ladle clarified consommé through it. Continue simmering gently for 30 minutes.
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Strain consommé through raft and cheesecloth. Season with to taste salt and to taste white pepper. The liquid should be crystal clear.
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Cook soaked 200g dried cannellini beans separately in salted water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain.
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To serve, divide shredded chicken and cooked beans among bowls. Ladle hot consommé over top and garnish with 30g mixed fresh herbs (chives.
Tips
Clarification Process: The raft technique creates crystal-clear broth. Don't stir once raft forms - just ladle through the hole you create.
Stock Quality: The better your initial stock, the better your consommé. Don't rush the simmering process - gentle heat extracts maximum flavor.
Bean Cooking: Cook beans separately to prevent cloudiness in the consommé. Season their cooking water for better flavor.
Make-Ahead: Consommé can be made 2 days ahead and reheated gently. Don't boil or it may become cloudy again.
Smoked Chicken: If you can't find whole smoked chicken, use smoked chicken thighs or breasts. The smoke flavor is essential to this dish.
Serving Temperature: Consommé should be served very hot. Warm bowls in a low oven before ladling.
Professional Tip: A perfectly clarified consommé should be so clear you can read through it. If yours isn't clear enough, strain through coffee filters.