Cooking school: how to clarify broth
Making your own broth may already sound like an overwhelming task, and then clarifying it as well? I understand if you’re already losing heart just reading the word, but it’s really much easier than you think.
Making your own broth already feels like an achievement in itself, but do you want to take it one step further? Then clarify it. A complicated word, but it means nothing more than making it clear. Broth is often cloudy because of small impurities and fat that has been drawn out of the meat. By clarifying it, you make it completely clear and transparent, and suddenly your broth is called a consommé.
Egg white
The only things you need are egg white and a slotted spoon. Egg white has the property of binding other proteins to itself when heated to 70ºC or higher. All the impurities and fat are drawn to the egg white like a magnet, and everything floats to the top. You can then easily skim off the foam.
Skimming
First pour the broth through a strainer (covered with cheesecloth). Whisk 50 ml cold water and 1–2 egg whites. Is it well mixed? Then add another 50 ml water. Bring the strained broth to a boil (the water must be bubbling vigorously) and add the egg-white mixture. Turn off the heat and leave the pan to stand for 5 minutes. If all goes well, all the fat will now bind to the egg whites and everything will float to the top of the pan. You can now easily skim it off with a slotted spoon.
Can’t it be easier?
If you find this too complicated, you can also let the broth cool completely in the refrigerator. The fat will float to the top and solidify when cold. You can then simply scoop it off. This method is just a little less thorough, and you’ll only remove the fat, not the impurities.
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