Everybody likes good stock, but when you taste consommé for the first time, you will find out that even stock can hugely differ in quality. This is the purest kind of stock that actually resembles tea. To be honest, nobody really makes this at home, as it takes a lot of effort.
But don’t worry, Heston Blumenthal saved us, because he found an easy way to do it. It takes a longer time, but it’s totally worth it. You just need to freeze the stock and then strain it through some cloth or fine towel. One thing to remember: don’t use any softeners to wash these, you probably wouldn’t be happy if you consommé smelled like jasmine spring or tropical night, right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well with thicker stocks, there is too much gelatine. Give it a shot with fish or poultry.
For 2 portions
2 mackerels
500 ml fish stock
1 green pepper
1 chilli
2 shiitake mushrooms
10 peas sprouts
30 g frozen peas
1 fennel
1 celery
1 spring onion
some watercress
1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbs soy sauce
Make the consommé by straining a frozen fish stock through a cloth. The result will be nice and clean liquid. Balance the taste with soy sauce and lemon juice. Cut all the veggies into small dices and reheat a little bit in the stock.
It’s quite easy to fillet a mackerel, but keep in mind that it’s a very delicate fish. It doesn’t have scales and you can cut out the bones without much effort. The only problem is taking out the insides and cutting off the head: that’s a dirty business. Vacuum seal the filleted fish with some olive oil and cook sous vide at 43 °C for 12 to 20 minutes depending how thick it is. The bigger, the longer. This temperature is unfortunately not high enough to cook the skin, so you have two possibilities, either take it off or burn it with a torch gun. The meat is flawless, so it’s worth it. Enjoy!
