What's the difference between a bouillon and a consomme?!
What's the difference between a bouillon and a consomme?
Answers: Bouillion generally refers to "court bouillon" in culinary terms, which is a liquid containing an acid (lemon juice or vinegar), wine, and herbs. It is usually used to cook fish or poultry.
Bouillion also refers to instant powdered broth.
A consomme is a classical French soup: a fortified, clarified stock. It is totally clear, and has a great deal of gelatin and flavor. It is served by itself with julienned or brunoise vegetables, or with quenelles of a forcemeat made from the same meat. (Chicken consomme, chicken forcement quenelles.)
Edit: I thought I should tell you how to make one.
To make a consomme, you start with stock, usually veal or chicken.
Everything must be COLD when you start.
You then take ground beef or chicken (whichever stock you have) and combine it with egg whites, mirepoix, and a canned tomato chopped up. This is called the clearmeat.
You mix it all together with the stock, and bring it to a simmer, stirring constantly until the raft forms. (It will actually look like a raft, floating on top of the liquid.)
The raft is what clarifies the stock. Since it is simmering, the liquid is moving by convection. As it passes by the albumin in the egg whites and meat, it catches the particles in the stock and leaves you with clear consomme. If the consomme comes to a boil and the raft breaks, you must start all over again, let the stock cool back down and begin with new clearmeat.
You simmer it for about an hour, then strain it through a chinois with a coffee filter.
It must then be degreased. You can drag a paper towel across the top, or you can use a kettle which draws from the bottom, since the fat floats.
It is best served piping hot, and with very simple garnish.
It seems a little bit drawn out for most normal people (myself included). Especially since the clearmeat is not eaten. I wouldn't make it on my own, that's for sure. Source(s):
Culinary school. bouillon is red and consomme is yellow