Clarifying stock: techniques

[CRUZMISL]

Hi All,

I like to make my chicken stock in my pressure cooker sinc e it only takes an hour or so. The stock tastes fine but the pressure cooker is very turbulent and doesn't yield the clearest stock. After I strain it through cheesecloth it is still not as clear as I'd like. Is there any way to clarify it?

Thanks,

Joe

[jackal10]

Tada! http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26540

eGCI on Consomme

[wattacetti]

You mean like consommé?

I've never done this with stock made in a pressure cooker (anal-retentive enough to sit there and skim/simmer for 12 hours), but:

2-3 egg whites

approximately 1/4 pound ground chicken meat (because it's chicken stock)

1 onion and carrot, minced

Whisk egg whites slightly and add to the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and chill (it better be really cold).

Use a pot with a relatively narrow diameter because the mix has to spread out across the top. Mix the stock with mix and slowly heat in the pot until it comes to a boil. DON'T MIX! It's supposed to form a crust.

Once the crust is thoroughly cooked, sieve again through cheesecloth.

Good luck.

[CRUZMISL]

Thanks, great info as usual. I'll give it a shot.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Sounds like I'm coming in late on this, but ... you can do it with just egg whites. If you want the method, let me know.

[Shalmanese]

One method which looks very intriguing by Heston Blumenthal is to freeze the stock into cubes and let them thaw over a coffee filter. The water part of the stock will thaw first and drip through while the solids are held together by the rest of the ice.

It seems to me that this method of clarifying stock would lead to larger yields and less of that eggy taste.

Personally, I don't see much point in clarifying stock unless it's for something that absolutely requires it. The cloudy bits in stock add flavour.

[CRUZMISL]

Sounds like I'm coming in late on this, but ...  you can do it with just egg whites.  If you want the method, let me know.

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I'm all for it!

[JayBassin]

I make stock in a pressure cooker all the time and it's clear. The first trick is to make sure the pressure cooker never reaches the point where it "blows off steam." Let the pressure go up to the second mark, but never higher. Once the cooker begins to vent steam, the stock will boil, which causes the cloudiness. Below the boiling point (which is elevated inside the pressure cooker above 100C), the stock inside won't boil. The second trick I use for a white chicken stock (unroasted bones) is to blanch the bones to a full boil first, then pour off the water and all the gunk (denatured proteins that cloud the stock), rinse off the pieces, then put back in a clean pot with fresh water and veg. It's an extra step, but I make a couple gallons each time and it's worth it. Far easier than clarifying the stock afterwards.

[CRUZMISL]

Good advice. I'll give it a try.

Thanks,

Joe

[Stephanie Wallace]

Sounds like I'm coming in late on this, but ...  you can do it with just egg whites.  If you want the method, let me know.

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I'm all for it!

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I second that. Tell us, tell us!

[Chef BV]

I was watching Iron Chef America and saw Morimoto use a mixture of mirepoix batonettes and whipped egg whites to clarify a kompachi stock. Can anyone clarify this and if it's correct, the reasoning behind using that technique? I would assume that it would be used to clarify a stock quickly since they are limited on time, but also maybe since using ground meat other than that of kompachi would skew the flavor profile. Using kompachi meat to enrich the stock would just be a waste of meat, right? Any technical insight would be great. Thanks!

[Blamo]

I've been watching Iron Chef since it was available in the US. Morimoto has always been one of my favorites to watch. It's amazing that he just gets better. I believe that was one of the best ICAs I've ever seen. He missed a perfect score by 1 point. The challenger scored like 50-52 pts which usually is enough to win. In the age of the celebrity chef, Morimoto truly deserves recognition.

[tino27]

The use of egg whites / ground meat / etc. to clarify stock is a common practice. I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong), as the raft cooks, the proteins unravel and form a "net" of sorts. Then, as the liquid circulates in the pot, the tiny particles (the undesirables) get caught up in this net. To help promote circulation, often times the pot is partially moved off the heat so that only one side is hot enough to encourage movement of the liquid inside the pot. It's imperative not to boil the stock at this point as that would result in a cloudy stock.

One the raft has done it's job, you carefully remove a small part of it with a ladle and then carefully ladle out the clarified stock and strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth into some type of receiving vessel (pan, container, etc.).

The ground meat used to clarify is not there to add flavor (or re-inforce flavor).

[Qwerty]

The use of egg whites / ground meat / etc. to clarify stock is a common practice. I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong), as the raft cooks, the proteins unravel and form a "net" of sorts. Then, as the liquid circulates in the pot, the tiny particles (the undesirables) get caught up in this net. To help promote circulation, often times the pot is partially moved off the heat so that only one side is hot enough to encourage movement of the liquid inside the pot. It's imperative not to boil the stock at this point as that would result in a cloudy stock.

One the raft has done it's job, you carefully remove a small part of it with a ladle and then carefully ladle out the clarified stock and strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth into some type of receiving vessel (pan, container, etc.).

The ground meat used to clarify is not there to add flavor (or re-inforce flavor).

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I don't think the use of egg whites to clarify a stock was in question, it was the use of WHIPPED egg whites to clarify that was unusual.

Personally I've never seen it done before the show, and I don't know what the benefits might be versus traditional raft.

[Vicious Wadd]

I was watching Iron Chef America and saw Morimoto use a mixture of mirepoix batonettes and whipped egg whites to clarify a kompachi stock. Can anyone clarify this and if it's correct, the reasoning behind using that technique? I would assume that it would be used to clarify a stock quickly since they are limited on time, but also maybe since using ground meat other than that of kompachi would skew the flavor profile. Using kompachi meat to enrich the stock would just be a waste of meat, right? Any technical insight would be great. Thanks!

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Why he used whipped egg whites is anyone's guess. In my own recent consomme experiment (see below). I recall Peterson said you had to whip the egg whites into the broth so they were well integrated into the liquid. Reading between the lines, that tells me you can't just dump them in and expect the raft to work its magic properly. Morimoto may have gotten a head start on the egg whites by whipping them, thus breaking their surface tension, BEFORE they were added to the broth to promote more efficient coagulation (???)

Coincidentally, I just made a consomme a couple weekends ago. It was used for a game meat broth that was mostly venison hindquarter with some goose meat/carcass thrown in (as well as the usual assortment of aromatics). If you'll allow me to bore you with a few details...

I consulted James Peterson's "Glorious French Food," before proceeding. He recommended a couple of different options, including the addtion of ground meat -- which, he stated, lent addtional flavor to the consomme. In addtion, he recommended including the egg shell with the egg whites -- especially if you were making the consomme with egg whites alone.

Frankly, the game broth was so flavorful, I saw no need to add more meat. In addition, I couldn't bring myself to throw out nearly 1/2 a dozen egg yolks, so I opted to go with a 100% pure eggwhite product from Egg Beaters.

After an inital strain, chilling and defating, I restrained the broth into a stock pot, rewarmed it, and whisked in the whole carton of egg white product for 1-2 minutes (per Peterson). Once the broth came to a soft boil, I adjusted the heat to a brisk simmer and moved the pot to one side of the flame. After about 10 minutes, the raft began to coagulate and the impurities began to attach to the egg proteins. At the 20 minute mark, I carefully pushed the raft aside and carefully stirred the pot to dislodge any coagulated egg from the sides (again, per Peterson) after 40-45 minutes total, I removed the raft and strained the broth. (In retrospect, I should have let it simmer a bit longer). My final straining involved pouring the broth through a coffee filter (one I do NOT use for coffee, BTW).

The final consomme was strikingly clear, almost like coffee or dark tea, and the flavor was fabulous. I was going to use this for stews, gravies, etc., but it's so darned good, I froze it and will use it between courses for my next dinner party.

Overall, a very neat culinary experiment!

Edited January 30, 2008 by Vicious Wadd (log)

[cathrynapple]

Even Alton mentioned that he'd never seen whipped whites used before. I don't think it would make much of a difference. Maybe it's a bit faster?

[TheSwede]

The ground meat used to clarify is not there to add flavor (or re-inforce flavor).

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I do belive the meat is there to re-add flavour, since the clarifying process removes a lot of flavourful particles. Or rather, I've seen that reason given in a number of sources. That might just be a kitchen myth and the real reason is because it helps the clarifying process?

[Tonyy13]

Hey guys, I teach the process of consomme all the time to my students. Here is what I tell them....

Cold stock- you want as much gelatin in the stock as possible. you also want it cold, because if you put your raft ingredients into it while it is warm, you are going to end up with funky egg drop soup. Not nice.

The Raft- consists of cold lean ground protein, egg whites, acid (usully tomato paste), chopped or food-processed raw vegetables, and sesoning/herbs

Protein- You want this stuff LEAN! NO fat... not good for the clarity, and it will make a grease slick on the top. The protein does does contribute to the clarification process, but IS NOT NECESSARY, as it's primary function is FLAVOR RENEWAL.

Egg White- Are the work horse of the clarification process. When added to the cold stock, they will form a coagulated net in which the stock will filter through, creating a Brita-like effect. I whip my egg whites just like Morimoto did, and was surprised that no one had ever seen this. The reason I do it is so that I don' t have to stand and stir the pot as it comes up to heat because the trapped air makes it float. The raft has a tendancey to sink and burn when you don't whip it, so it is important to sit and stir it making sure that you don't burn. Egg whites are VITAL to the consomme process.

Acid- Usually in the form of tomato paste, they make the proteins more efficient at coagulation. Also adds color and some flavor. It is NOT NECESSARY to make consomme.

Vegetables- cut very small, they are used to provide structure to the fragile egg whites once they have coagulated. If I had all day, I would prefer thin juliennes, but since I don't, I usually just throw it in the robot coupe and go till they are quite small. Most chefs consider this blasphame, but I don't care. They veg's main job is flavor renewal, and they ARE NOT NECESSARY to the consomme process. They can also add color if you are talkign about carrots.

Herbs and Seasonings- Only there for flavor. We used to do a mussel dish with a "pho" consomme, and used to put fish sauce, kaffir lime, and thai basil in with the raft to flavor the broth. Most chefs will use cheesecloth, which turns it into like a floating diaper if you ask me, so I don't use any (not to mention cheesecloth is quite expensive). I mean, it is gonna get caught up in the raft anyway, who cares? Salt can be added after the straining process (always through a coffee filter lined chinoise), but I prefer to add pepper flavor in teh form of whole peppercorns in the raft. Otherwise, I have had some back luck with clouding when added post strain.

Hope this helps!

TA

[slkinsey]

Frankly, the game broth was so flavorful, I saw no need to add more meat.  In addition, I couldn't bring myself to throw out nearly 1/2 a dozen egg yolks, so I opted to go with a 100% pure eggwhite product from Egg Beaters.

Egg yolks freeze quite well, and I use the yolks leftover from stock clarification and other egg white uses (cocktails, etc.) in fresh pasta.

[Vicious Wadd]

Frankly, the game broth was so flavorful, I saw no need to add more meat.  In addition, I couldn't bring myself to throw out nearly 1/2 a dozen egg yolks, so I opted to go with a 100% pure eggwhite product from Egg Beaters.

Egg yolks freeze quite well, and I use the yolks leftover from stock clarification and other egg white uses (cocktails, etc.) in fresh pasta.

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Good to know. Thanks for the tip!

[jackal10]

I posted an illustrated recipe earlier: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=26540

Escoffier thunders:“It will be seen that I do not refer to any vegetable for the clarification. If the [stock] is well carried out, it should be possible to dispense with all supplementary flavouring, and, the customary error of cooks being rather to overdo the quantity of vegetables – even to the extent of disguising the natural aroma of the consommé- I prefer to entirely abandon the idea of vegetable garnishes in clarifications, and thus avoid a common stumbling block”.

Nowadays many prefer to use the freezing route. Esure your stock contains (or add) 0.1% gelatine; freeze and then let the blobk melt slowly over double cheesecloth or a coffee filter. This gives a much clearer taset, since the stock is not boiled, and can be used for non-traditional stocks and essences Harold McGee explains http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/dining/0...gin&oref=slogin

Personally I like egg white clarification for meat stocks. I find it more reliable

Edited January 30, 2008 by jackal10 (log)

[Vicious Wadd]

Tony: Thanks for the info on this, it was very helpful. I do have one question though:

Cold stock- you want as much gelatin in the stock as possible. 

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I was under the impression the base was typically a meat broth, not a bone-based stock, per se. I would fear a stock with a high gelatin content be a bit too viscous/unctuous as a consomme -- sort of like hyper-clarified demi glace.

[paulraphael]

I was under the impression the base was typically a meat broth, not a bone-based stock, per se.  I would fear a stock with a high gelatin content be a bit too viscous/unctuous as a consomme -- sort of like hyper-clarified demi glace.

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The conversation makes me wonder if anyone uses egg whites to clarify stocks used for glaces or concentrated jus.

My stocks tend to get a bit clouded during the straining process All the stuff that accumulates at the bottom of the stockpot roars through the coarse chinois, and in a heartbeat clouds up the stock. I suppose if ladeled the liquid stock off of the sediment the problem would be avoided, but there's so much of it down there, and it harbors so much stock, that I hate to throw it out.

So I've wondered about clarifying with egg whites/other protein after defating. I've never made a consomme, so I don't know how much flavor is lost and if it would be worth it.

[Vicious Wadd]

I was under the impression the base was typically a meat broth, not a bone-based stock, per se.  I would fear a stock with a high gelatin content be a bit too viscous/unctuous as a consomme -- sort of like hyper-clarified demi glace.

←

The conversation makes me wonder if anyone uses egg whites to clarify stocks used for glaces or concentrated jus.

My stocks tend to get a bit clouded during the straining process All the stuff that accumulates at the bottom of the stockpot roars through the coarse chinois, and in a heartbeat clouds up the stock. I suppose if ladeled the liquid stock off of the sediment the problem would be avoided, but there's so much of it down there, and it harbors so much stock, that I hate to throw it out.

So I've wondered about clarifying with egg whites/other protein after defating. I've never made a consomme, so I don't know how much flavor is lost and if it would be worth it.

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Personally, I wouldn't consomme-ify (how's that for butchering French?) a bone stock. Considering I usually reduce part of a batch of stock into demi glace -- and sometimes glace de viande, my main concern is defatting. Therefore, a little cloudiness is okay, since I'm using the end product for sauces, soups, gravies, etc.

[wallchef]

I've always whipped my egg whites to make a consomme. It promotes the necessary coagulation of protiens to clarify the broth.