Apple-Calvados-Consommé

To conclude the Christmas dinners, we have a comparatively light and quick menu today on Sunday, the first day after Christmas.

We start with a beef consommé that gains flavor from Calvados and a few apple pieces. Strictly speaking, it’s not really a consommé, since I spared myself the clarification process with minced meat and egg whites and just strained the beef stock through muslin cloth. So the broth is not quite clear, taste-wise the cost-benefit ratio remains positive.

The beef broth I have already made before Christmas:

• 1 kg beef brisket
• 1 kg beef bones
• 5 liters of water

boil first one to two hours, while I skim off the escaping protein that collects in gray flakes on the broth. Then I add

• 1 leek
• 1 large carrot
• 1/2 bulb of celery
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 1 tsp allspice

and cook the broth for another 2-3 hours. Then I let it cool on the stove. Attention - do not open the pot and do not bring it abruptly to cold. Otherwise, the soup may tip over. Later, the pot ends up on the balcony. The next day I can lift off the again solidified tallow and remove the solid parts of the broth. Strain 2 times and pass through gauze cloths. Refrigerate broth or freeze if it takes longer to prepare.

On the evening of the meal, I heat the beef broth, and use a ball cutter to cut out 6 round thalers from a red apple, which I briefly soak in

• 2-3 tablespoons of Calvados

and put them on preheated plates. To this comes the consommé and a little chive roll. Very fine!

clear beef broth, with small round cutout red apple pieces