How to Make Veal Consommé

A clear, amber bowl of veal consommé looks simple, but it’s one of those kitchen jobs that rewards patience and care. The goal is clarity—both in flavor and appearance. If you’ve ever made stock and wished it tasted deeper or looked polished enough for a dinner party, consommé is the next step. It’s stock that’s been clarified until it’s glass-clear and concentrated, with a clean, confident taste that doesn’t shout. You can sip it plain, float a few precise vegetable dice on top, or use it as the base for delicate dumplings or a poached egg.

At its heart, consommé isn’t magic; it’s good housekeeping. Proteins in egg whites and lean ground meat grab the tiny particles that make stock cloudy and haul them to the surface. That rising “raft” traps the haze. You watch the pot, keep the heat steady, and resist the urge to stir. The reward is a broth you could read a newspaper through.

Veal makes especially refined consommé. Veal bones and connective tissue give stock plenty of gelatin, which translates to body in the mouth—a silky texture that coats your tongue without feeling greasy. Because the taste is so focused, you want a decent stock to start with: balanced, aromatic, and not overly salty. Salt comes later, once the broth is clear and reduced to where you want it.

This isn’t hard work, but it is careful work. You chop aromatics fine so they lend flavor quickly and evenly. You mix the “clearmeat” (lean ground veal, egg whites, aromatics, tomato for a touch of acidity) while everything is cold so the proteins stay relaxed until you want them to set. You bring the pot up from cold to a bare simmer and hold it there. The raft forms, you make a small “chimney” opening in the center, and the broth gently percolates up through that vent. It smells like Sunday dinner in a French kitchen and looks like science class.

If you’re cooking in a small apartment or a busy family kitchen, plan the process. Make stock a day or two ahead and chill it so you can lift off the fat. Choose a pot with tall sides and a heavy base for even heating. Clear a patch of counter for straining without juggling hot liquid. And make extra. Consommé freezes beautifully, and a quart tucked away turns a quiet evening into something a little more composed. The bowl you serve in the end is straightforward and honest—just clean flavors, good technique, and the kind of simplicity that never goes out of style.

What Is Veal Consommé, Exactly?
Consommé is clarified stock. Clarification concentrates aroma and removes haze so the liquid is brilliant and bright. Veal consommé leans silky because veal bones produce gelatin-rich stock. That gelatin gives the finished consommé gentle body and a lasting finish. The method is classic: combine cold stock with a cold mixture of egg whites, lean ground veal, fine-cut vegetables, and a little tomato. Warm it slowly; the proteins set, collect impurities, and rise to form a raft that filters the broth as it circulates.

Why Does the Raft Work?
Egg-white proteins (albumin) denature and tangle as they heat. Lean ground veal brings additional proteins with a strong pull for small particles. Together, they trap suspended fats, coagulated proteins, and vegetable specks. The raft rises because steam lifts it, and a low simmer keeps liquid moving up through a small vent. Stirring breaks the filtering action, so once the raft sets, you leave it alone.

The Stock You Start With Matters
A consommé can’t outshine its stock. Use a clear, aromatic veal stock that’s not aggressively salted. If your stock tastes flat, simmer it briefly with a fresh bouquet garni before clarifying. If it’s greasy, chill it and remove the solid fat. Cloudy stock is fine at this stage; that’s what clarification solves. What you’re after in the base is balance: quiet sweetness from carrot and onion, a hint of herb, no bitterness, and enough gelatin to feel supple on the tongue.

Heat Control Is the Whole Game
Rolling boils shred the raft and drive fats back into the liquid. Keep it to a bare simmer—tiny bubbles around the edges, a light burble through the chimney. If you overshoot and the raft fractures, lower the heat and let the raft re-settle; don’t stir. If your stove runs hot, offset the pot halfway off the burner or set a flame tamer underneath.

Seasoning Comes Late
Salt tightens proteins and can throw off reduction targets. Clarify first, strain, taste, and then season. You can reduce a clear consommé a bit to concentrate it, but do it gently to keep it bright.

Garnish (If You Want It)
Keep it minimal. A teaspoon of fine brunoise (carrot, leek, celery root) blanched to just tender looks sharp and adds color. Tiny veal or chicken quenelles are traditional. A soft-poached egg or a few chives can be perfect. The consommé should remain the main event.

Troubleshooting at a Glance
• Cloudy after straining: heat was too high or the raft was disturbed. You can try a second clarification with half the egg whites.
• Greasy sheen: stock wasn’t fully defatted. Chill and lift fat, or drag clean paper towel lightly across the surface.
• Weak flavor: reduce slightly after clarification, then season.
• Raft never formed: mixture may have been too warm when it went in, or stock wasn’t cold. Start everything cold next time.

Recipe: Clear, Silky Veal Consommé (About 2 quarts / 1.9 L)
Servings: 6 (about 10–12 fl oz / 300–350 ml per serving)
Active time: 45 minutes | Simmer time: 1½–2 hours | Total time: 2½–3 hours (plus time to make/defat stock)

Required Equipment
• 6–8 quart (5.7–7.6 L) heavy pot with tall sides
• Fine mesh strainer and moistened cheesecloth (or an unbleached coffee filter)
• Large ladle
• Thermometer (helpful for heat control)
• Mixing bowl and wooden spoon
• Small saucepan (optional, for blanching garnishes)

Ingredients (U.S. and Metric)
For the base:
• 2 quarts (8 cups / 1.9 L) cold unsalted veal stock, well-gelled and defatted
• 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, as needed to adjust level

For the clearmeat (raft):
• 1 lb (450 g) lean ground veal (as lean as you can find)
• 4 large egg whites (about ½ cup / 120 g)
• 1 small onion, very finely diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)
• 1 small carrot, very finely diced (about ¾ cup / 100 g)
• 1 small celery stalk, very finely diced (about ½ cup / 80 g)
• 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste or 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped (about 80 g)
• 1 cup (120 g) crushed ice

Aromatics:
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 parsley stems (or 3 sprigs)
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 6 whole black peppercorns

Finishing:
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• A few drops of dry sherry or Madeira (optional, traditional touch)
• Garnish of fine vegetable brunoise, blanched (optional; see notes)

Preparation Instructions

1. Start Cold and Mix the Clearmeat
   Add the ground veal, egg whites, onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste (or chopped tomato), and crushed ice to a mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is sticky and uniform, 30–60 seconds. The ice helps keep the proteins cold so they bind strongly as they heat, which improves clarification.
2. Combine with Stock
   Pour the cold veal stock into your pot. Scrape in the clearmeat mixture. Add bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme, and peppercorns. Stir everything together thoroughly while still cold to disperse the clearmeat evenly.
3. Bring Up to a Bare Simmer—Slowly
   Set the pot over medium-low heat. Stir gently and constantly as the liquid warms to prevent sticking on the bottom—this is the last time you’ll stir. As the temperature approaches a simmer (about 185–195°F / 85–90°C), you’ll feel the clearmeat thicken and rise. Stop stirring as soon as you see small bubbles along the edges and the raft beginning to form.
4. Set the Chimney and Hold the Heat
   Use a spoon to open a small “chimney” in the center of the raft, about 2–3 inches (5–7 cm) wide. This vent lets liquid percolate through the raft for continuous filtration. Adjust heat to maintain a bare simmer—no rolling boil. You should see an occasional gentle bubble rise through the chimney.
5. Simmer Until Bright and Clear
   Let the consommé simmer undisturbed for 60–90 minutes. Check every 10–15 minutes to ensure the simmer is gentle and the raft remains intact. If the level drops below the raft, add a splash of hot water to keep the raft moistened and floating. Clarity improves with time; taste at 60 minutes and continue if it needs more depth.
6. Ladle Off the Clear Consommé
   Set a fine mesh strainer lined with moistened cheesecloth over a clean pot or large bowl. Without breaking the raft, ladle consommé from the chimney and the sides of the pot through the strainer. Don’t pour the whole pot at once—that can break the raft and cloud the broth. Let it drip through without pressing.
7. Degrease and Finish
   If any small fat droplets remain, pass once more through fresh cheesecloth or chill briefly and lift off any solidified fat. Season with fine sea salt to taste only now. If you want a little more concentration, return the clear consommé to a clean pot and reduce over low heat for a few minutes. Keep it gentle. Off the heat, a few drops of dry sherry or Madeira are traditional but optional.
8. Serve or Store
   Serve hot in prewarmed bowls. If garnishing, keep it spare—see notes below. Cool leftovers quickly, then refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Garnish Notes (Optional)
• Fine brunoise (⅛-inch / 3 mm dice) of carrot, leek, and celery root or turnip looks clean in the cup. Blanch each vegetable separately in salted water until just tender, shock in ice water, then pat dry. Use 1–2 teaspoons per serving.
• Tiny veal or chicken quenelles are classic. Poach gently in salted water or a small ladle of consommé until set.
• A soft-poached egg can turn consommé into a light main course.

Make-Ahead and Storage
• Stock: prepare and defat 1–2 days ahead. Well-gelled, unsalted stock gives the best texture and control.
• Consommé: clarify earlier in the day; keep hot in a covered pot at the barest steam for service, or chill and rewarm gently. Avoid vigorous boiling when reheating.

Scaling the Recipe
• For 1 gallon (3.8 L) stock, scale the clearmeat to about 2 lb (900 g) lean ground veal, 6–8 large egg whites (180–240 g), 1 lb (450 g) mirepoix, and ¼ cup (60 g) tomato paste. Simmer 1½–2½ hours.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Boiling: clouds the liquid and shreds the raft. Keep it to a whisper.
• Stirring after the raft forms: breaks filtration. Once the raft sets, hands off.
• Salting early: concentrates unpredictably. Season at the end.
• Oily stock: chill and remove fat first; a greasy stock fights clarification and dulls flavor.
• Chunky aromatics: cut small and even so they release flavor cleanly and help the raft do its job.

Texture and Mouthfeel
A well-made veal consommé should be limpid yet have quiet weight on the palate. That’s gelatin at work. If yours feels thin, it likely started from a watery stock. You can gently reduce the clarified consommé a bit, but aim for balance, not syrupy thickness. If it feels greasy, it wasn’t defatted thoroughly; cooling and skimming remains the best fix.

Serving Ideas That Respect the Broth
• Clear cup course before a roast or a simple fish.
• Light supper with a few vegetables and a slice of good bread.
• Base for delicate dumplings or poached seafood when you want the broth to shine more than the garnish.

Nutritional Information (Approximate; per 1 cup / 240 ml, seasoned to taste)
Calories: ~45
Protein: ~7 g
Fat: ~1 g
Carbohydrates: ~2 g
Sodium: ~300 mg (varies with final seasoning)
These values assume unsalted stock clarified and then seasoned lightly at the end.

Ingredient Sourcing and Substitutions
• Lean ground veal: look for the leanest grind; any visible fat undermines the raft. If veal is unavailable, ground chicken breast works; the flavor will be lighter.
• Tomato paste: a small amount sharpens and brightens. A chopped fresh tomato does the same job.
• Herbs: keep them simple. Thyme and parsley stems are plenty. Stronger herbs crowd the finish.
• Stock: if your homemade stock is short, you can extend with a mild, unsalted store-bought veal or chicken stock. Clarity depends more on technique than brand, but flavor depends on the base.

Safety and Handling
Keep raw ground meat and eggs cold before mixing. Use clean utensils and hands. Bring consommé above 165°F (74°C) during simmering and strain into a clean pot. Cool leftovers promptly: shallow containers, uncovered until steam subsides, then covered in the refrigerator.

A Short Prep Plan You Can Trust

1. Day before: make and chill stock.
2. Day of: defat stock, mix cold clearmeat, clarify slowly, strain, season.
3. Service: rewarm gently, add minimal garnish, serve in preheated cups.

Closing Notes
Consommé rewards calm attention and clean habits more than fancy gear. Keep things cold before you start, keep the simmer low once you do, and keep your hands off the pot after the raft sets. With that, the process becomes predictable, and the result is a bowl that tastes like your kitchen at its best—quietly sure of itself, clear as a mountain stream, and exactly what you meant to make.