I want to encourage you to try your hand at a genuine, consommé-stock-based sauce—it doesn't require magic! And for those under the illusion that a sauce prepared from a ready-mix, or one augmented with a mix, is the same as a fine, flavorful stock-based sauce, I challenge you to make a comparison.
To get something settled straight from the start—"sauce" does not necessarily refer to sauce or gravy. Consommé-based sauce is nothing more than a strong liquid decoction, liquid that remains from certain cooked foods, or as people in the south of the United States would call it, "pot liqueur."
It does not matter if the leftover broth is from vegetables, meats, or even pasta—all of these liquids are a much better option to prepare any dish than plain tap water or a dissolved bullion cube. I would be wary of ready-made sauces in jars or cans available in the grocery store; many of them seem to have a gluey aftertaste. They simply cannot be compared to homemade, stock-based sauces.
The use of stock or consommé is standard practice in fine restaurants everywhere since fresh ingredients are readily available, and the chefs take the time to prepare things properly. While few households can afford to devote half a day to preparing a proper stock each time, these liquid treasures can be prepared in large batches and frozen. When thawed, they are a superior addition to any sauce.
Preparing a good stock is normally not labor-intensive, but a bit time-consuming. The effort is definitely worth it because the palate discerns the pleasant flavors from a properly prepared sauce compared to the factory-created alternative. To spare you much culinary theories, I have grouped the stocks into two categories—light and dark.
Light stock is prepared by slowly simmering ingredients for a long time without roasting them first. The resulting broth is strained through a fine-mesh strainer or through a clean kitchen towel. The solids are discarded.
The process differs for dark stocks: bones, pieces of meat, and certain vegetables are oven-roasted, and when brown, are deglazed with wine or water, and then slowly cooked for several hours. As with light stock, the resulting liquid is strained, and the solids discarded.
Once strained, the stock can be further cooked until it is reduced to the desired thickness. The more the liquid evaporates during slow cooking, the more concentrated and intense the flavors become. Once meat-based stock is set to cool, the resulting layer of fat must be discarded. The remaining stock is now jelled and firm, ready for use as an addition to sauces, certain kinds of soups, and other dishes.
Because of its strong, concentrated flavor, specific preparations might call for a mere one or two tablespoons of this culinary delight. Jellied stock or consommé stores in the refrigerator for at least a week.
The terms stock or consommé can be considered the foundation on which any well-made sauce is based. With a bit of practice, you too can become a sauce specialist and enchant family and friends with your creations. I wish you success!
For inquiries, suggestions, or criticism, please contact me at johann.fleck@epochtimes.de
Golden Rules for Making Consommé
1. Ingredients must be absolutely fresh and of the best quality.
2. Never use too much water to cook the ingredients—less is more. If additional water is needed, use cold water.
3. Start the consommé process with cold water. Add additional cold water, if needed, to keep the broth clear.
4. Once having come to the boil, if this concoction is vegetable-based, simmer the mixture no longer than 45 minutes. Lamb or poultry-based mixtures require 1-1/2 hours; fish broths a mere 30 minutes. Brown veal is the only stock requiring several hours. However, if overcooked, the stock tastes dull.
5. To achieve maximum, intense flavor, stocks are cooked twice—cook it to the time limit, let it chill completely, and then simmer again for a short time.
6. Stocks should never boil, but rather simmer.
7. To achieve a clear stock, the ensuing foam must constantly be removed. As mentioned above, the finished broth must be strained before use or storage.
Fish Consommé or Stock
This is particularly good for fish dishes, soups, and aspic. Ingredients:
(Makes 2 quarts)
3 lbs. of fish bones, skin, and fins from a white-fleshed fish, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp. butter
White parts of two leeks
1 onion, cut into rings
1/4 cup finely sliced mushrooms
1 pint white wine
A bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, fresh thyme, parsley, and a green onion)
2 slices of lemon
8 peppercorns, crushed and placed into a spice bag
Method:
Rinse all the fish parts under cold running water and let them drain. Sauté the vegetables in the butter for a few minutes. Add the fish pieces, sauté briefly, and then add the wine. Let all of this cook at medium heat until it is reduced by 2/3, and then add 2-1/2 quarts of cold water. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat and remove the foam rising to the surface.
Add the bouquet garni and the lemon slices, and simmer everything for 25 minutes, removing any foam in between. Add the pepper 10 minutes before the end of cooking time. Strain the stock and chill it quickly. Discard the solids.
Brown Veal Stock
(Makes 1 quart)Ingredients:
2 lbs. veal bones—cracked, plus 1 lb. of veal trimmings
1 cup chopped root vegetables (carrot, celery, leek)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped leek (green parts, too)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
6 peppercorns
5 tbsp. good salad oil
1 pint white wine
3 quarts water
Salt to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place oil in a large frying pan and roast the veal parts and bones until seared. Place in the oven in the same pan, decrease the heat, and roast slowly with the root vegetables until dark brown, turning the pieces frequently. This might take an hour or more.
Then add the tomato paste, roasting it for a few minutes. Now add half the wine and roast again until the wine has evaporated. The roasting process begins all over again. Repeat with the rest of the wine. Then add about one cup of cold water and scrape off all the bits that cling to the bottom of the pan (the gold!) and decant everything into a large pot.
Gradually add the 3 quarts of water, bring to the boil, and immediately reduce the heat and simmer for three hours. Add only a small amount of salt. Then strain the consommé as described above, and cool to chill, discarding all the solids.
Brown veal stock is the basis for many meat and fish dishes. A cook can weave magic with the addition of mushrooms, marrow, or truffles, a bit of Parmesan cheese or crème fraiche, and thus create a variety of delicacies. Dark sauces are best thickened at the last moment with a few pieces of diced, chilled butter—or a slurry made from cornstarch.
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