consommé

A chef carefully ladles consommé into a bowl.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A clear soup: "consommé" refers to a type of clear soup made by clarifying stock (usually meat, poultry, or fish) with egg whites and seasonings, resulting in a rich, flavorful, and transparent broth.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The chef served a hot consommé as the first course of the meal. (A clear, clarified broth.)
  • She ordered a cold consommé with tomato and herbs for a refreshing summer starter. (A chilled version of the clear soup.)

Advanced Usage

• "to clarify a consommé": the process of making the soup clear by simmering it with egg whites, which trap impurities.

  • The key to a perfect consommé is to clarify it slowly without stirring. (To remove cloudiness and achieve transparency.)

• "consommé double": a more concentrated and flavorful version of consommé, often used as a base for other dishes.

  • The consommé double was so rich that it could be served alone as a main course. (A double-strength, intensely flavored broth.)

Variants and Related Words

• Consommé (n): the soup itself (no common adjective or verb forms; the word is used as a noun only).

Synonyms

• Broth: a liquid soup made by simmering meat, vegetables, or bones.
• Bouillon: a clear, thin broth, often used interchangeably with consommé but less clarified.
• Stock: a flavorful liquid base for soups and sauces, typically not clarified.

Related Idioms

• "A consommé of the mind": a figurative expression (rare) meaning a clear, refined thought or idea.
  • His speech was a consommé of the mind — pure and concise. (A clear, distilled intellectual product.)

Phrasal Verbs

• None: "consommé" is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs.