Clear Tomato Consommé

Ingredients

• 1 kg ripe tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 150 g celery root
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Garlic clove
• 300 g clarified meat (e.g., beef brisket)
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp salt
• a pinch of sugar
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 250 g ice cubes

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the tomatoes, remove the stem ends, and cut into pieces. Peel and roughly dice the onion, celery root, carrot, and garlic.

2. 2.

   Rinse the meat, pat dry, and roughly cube it as well. Add the prepared vegetables to the meat. Pass everything through a meat grinder with a medium disc. Mix in the egg whites, salt, and sugar thoroughly with the clarified meat. Transfer to a large pot and add the peppercorns and bay leaf. Finally stir in the ice cubes and tomato pieces, then pour about 1 liter of cold water over them. Refrigerate overnight.

3. 3.

   The next day, bring the mixture to a rapid boil while stirring evenly at the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat and let it simmer just below boiling for about 1.5 hours. Add more water if needed. If necessary, skim off fat and avoid stirring further to keep the liquid clear.

4. 4.

   Finally, carefully remove the so‑called 'cake' with a slotted spoon. Strain the clarified broth through a fine muslin cloth-lined sieve. Let it drain well but do not squeeze out excess liquid.