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Consommé with Saffron

María José San Román has been working for several years with the University of Madrid, studying the properties of saffron. She has found that saffron loves lots of time; the longer you simmer it, the more flavor it will impart. This intensely saffrony yet delicate consommé can be served as a first course, or you can serve it in demitasse cups as a tapa. The saffron gives it a beautiful color and a very special flavor. From Spain and The World Table, The Culinary Institute of America.

10 ounces (285 g) beef chuck, cut into
2-inch (5 cm) cubes
2 hen or chicken legs (about 5¾ ounces or 160 g each)
3 chicken legs (3½ to 4 ounces or 100 to 115 g each)
11 ounces (310 g) pork ribs (about 5 ribs)
1 beef shank bone (about 10½ ounces or 300 g)
1 ham hock, split (about 7 ounces or 200 g)
22⁄3 quarts (22⁄3 liters) water, preferably bottled water
2½ medium carrots, peeled and quartered
1½ medium parsnips, peeled and quartered
1½ medium beets, peeled and quartered
2½ Swiss chard leaves, with stalks
3½ cups coarsely chopped cabbage
½ teaspoon saffron threads, divided use
4 teaspoons salt, divided use
10¾ ounces (310 g) duck foie gras, partially frozen
Small pinch white pepper
1 tablespoon clover or other vegetable sprouts
2 teaspoons thinly sliced chives

1. Place the meats in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer for 1 hour. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.

2. Add the vegetables and ¼ teaspoon of saffron to the pot with 2 teaspoons of salt, bring back to a gentle simmer, and continue to cook, partiallly covered, for another 2 hours, or until the level of the liquid in the pot has reduced to about half of the original amount.

3. Dice the foie gras into ¼-inch (5 mm) cubes while the broth simmers. Arrange the cubes in 1-tablespoon portions on a plate, then cover and refrigerate until thawed.

4. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh or cheesecloth-lined strainer into a 2-quart (2 liter) glass measuring bowl. If the broth has reduced to less than 6 cups, add enough water to bring the level to 6 cups. If the broth measures more than 6 cups, you may further reduce it, if desired, before adjusting the seasoning. Refrigerate until the fat solidifies on the top of the broth, 2 to 3 hours. Use a spoon to skim off as much of the fat layer as possible.

5. Return the broth to a clean soup pot or Dutch oven, taste the soup, and adjust seasoning with up to 2 teaspoons of salt and a small pinch of white pepper (or more or less of each as needed). Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the seasoning flavors have blended.

6. Place 1 tablespoon of the diced foie gras into each of 8 heated soup bowls, then ladle ¾ cup of the consommé into each bowl. Garnish each serving with a small pinch each of clover or vegetable sprouts, chives, and 2 to 3 threads of the remaining saffron.