If you thought consommé was for sick people, you’ll think differently after you try it. It’s deceptively addictive, a rich, clear soup with wonderful, deep flavor. There’s a reason this is a traditional starter at elegant meals; it whets your appetite without filling you up at all. You can use a food processor to chop the chicken and vegetables together; pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter are about right, so don’t overprocess.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 cups

　　6 cups chicken stock, refrigerated and skimmed of excess fat

　　10 to 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken, white or dark meat, chopped

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 medium carrot, chopped

　　1 celery stalk, chopped

　　1/2 leek, trimmed, chopped, and well rinsed

　　1 tomato, cored and cut into quarters

　　4 egg whites

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Place the stock in a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles steadily but not too rapidly. Combine the chicken, onion, carrot, celery, leek, and tomato in a bowl; stir in the egg whites and add 1 cup ice cubes.

　　

Step 2

Add this mixture all at once to the simmering stock, along with some salt and pepper. Whisk once or twice and bring back to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the liquid bubbles steadily but not too rapidly; the solids will form a “raft” on top of the liquid. Create a “chimney,” a hole on one edge of the raft, simply by spooning some of the solids out of the way. Let it cook that way for about 10 minutes, gradually enlarging the chimney by scooping solids from the edge of the raft onto the middle.

　　

Step 3

Ladle the liquid (it’s okay if you take some of the raft with it, but try to minimize this) through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Serve (hot, in small bowls), refrigerate (you can skim off fat after the stock cools completely) and use within 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.