Another stupid Question-difference between broth and consomme?

[Beth Y]

Okay, after reading the post about having both broth and consomme in the French Onion Soup recipe, I am confused. I thought that they were, basically, the same thing! I made the Beef Tenderloin with French Onion Sauce last night (fantastic by the way) which called for consomme..I used canned beef broth and it turned out great? What is the difference?

[Shirley Panek]

"Consomme is broth that has been clarified, using a mixture of ground meat, egg whites, and other ingredients that traps impurities. A consomme should be crystal-clear, completely fat-free, and amber to brown in color, with a good body." - Culinary Institute of America New Professional Chef cookbook.

Basically, it's a clear broth. If you were to pour both into clear measuring cups you would see the difference.

Consomme may also have a fuller flavor than broth, but I don't use it that often, so I'm not sure.

Hope this helps.

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Shirley

[Holly S]

Consomme

A clarified meat or fish broth. Consommé can be served hot or cold, and is variously used as a soup or sauce base. A double consommé has been reduced until it is half the volume (and has twice the flavor) of regular (or single) consommé.

Broth

A liquid resulting from cooking vegetables, meat or fish in water. The term is sometimes used synonymously with bouillon .

[Beth Y]

Thanks for the definitions, but I guess my question is, is there really that much difference in taste? I am far too lazy to make my own consomme and am going to buy canned. I remember my Mom serving us canned consomme as a child and it tasted like broth. I just always considered the two very similar and was surprised to see a recipe that called for both. If not the canned stuff my Mom served us, where do you get real consomme?