To Clear Soups
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cool the stock and remove the fat.
Beat the egg white slightly and crush the egg shell.
Add the egg white and shell to the stock.
Clarify and strain
Heat the stock gradually to boiling, stirring constantly, and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add 4 cups of cold water.
Let it stand for 5 minutes, then strain through thick cotton over a strainer.
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
- Egg white
- Its proteins coagulate as the stock heats, trapping cloudy particles so they rise and can be strained out.
- Egg shell
- Its crushed surface adds nucleation sites and extra calcium-rich particles that help gather impurities into the clarifying raft.
The step that matters
Heating the stock gradually while stirring constantly. If the stock heats too fast or is not stirred, the egg white can set into the broth before it forms a raft, leaving the soup cloudy. Gentle, steady heating lets the raft form and trap impurities, which then strain out cleanly.
“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 clear soup 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.