Clear Soup, or Consomme
Ingredients
Directions
Clarify
Mix the egg white and washed eggshell into the cold stock and beat well.
Place over heat and stir constantly until it boils.
Stop stirring and let it boil until a clear liquid appears below the scum.
Strain and serve
Strain through a cloth to remove the scum.
Remove all fat from the top before serving.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Stock
- Serves as the flavorful liquid that is clarified into the finished consommé.
- Egg white
- Coagulates as it heats, forming a raft that traps cloudy particles for clear broth.
- Eggshell
- Adds extra surface area and mineral particles that help the egg white raft capture impurities.
The step that matters
Stop stirring once it boils. Stirring breaks up the forming egg white raft and re-disperses particles through the liquid. Letting it boil undisturbed lets the raft trap impurities, leaving the broth clear beneath it.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More consommé recipes
You might also like
Indian Spiced Potato Soup with Tofu and Spinach448 recipes
Clear Carrot and Bottle Gourd Soup65 recipes
Mock Bisque Soup51 recipes
Cream of Asparagus Soup42 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.