Lentil Consommé with Dumplings

For the broth, rinse bones, place in a large pot and fill with 2 liters (approximately 8 cups) cold water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Carefully remove foam with a skimmer. Halve onion, toast in a skillet on cut surfaces until brown, place in pot with bones and cook for about 30 minutes. Rinse, trim and peel soup vegetables as necessary and add to broth mixture with mace, lentils and peppercorns. Gently simmer broth mixture, uncovered, for about 1 hour (do not let mixture come to a rolling boil).

Strain broth mixture and let cool (there should be about 1 liter of broth). For the consommé, remove meat from leg of beef and grind finely with a meat grinder. Scrub carrot, celery and parsnip and chop finely. Mix ground meat, carrot, celery, parsnip and egg whites, add to cooled broth and mix thoroughly until completely blended. Slowly bring broth mixture to a boil, stirring constantly (egg whites will coagulate and clear the broth). Gently simmer broth mixture for about 1 hour. Carefully strain broth mixture through a cloth for the consommé.

Soak lentils in cold water for several hours and cook in unsalted water for 10-12 minutes. Peel carrot and celery root, chop finely, add to lentils and cook until lentils are tender, 8-10 more minutes. Drain lentil mixture and set aside.

For the dumplings, coarsely grate rolls to breadcrumbs. Melt butter, mix with eggs using an immersion blender and season with salt, pepper and mace. Mix in enough breadcrumbs to egg mixture using the immersion blender to form a dough, season with salt, pepper and mace and let stand for about 10 minutes.