Consomme Technique

Crystal-clear stock

The science behind making a perfectly clear stock is really interesting. You can use the stock to make a classic consommé.

Make a stock, as you normally would. Add a little gelatin to the liquid. Freeze the stock. Take it from the freezer and (assuming you don't have a vacuum line fitted with a 0.2-micron filter to hand) place it in a colander and allow it to melt through a muslin cloth or a filter-coffee paper. It works because the gelatin molecules cross-link and in effect create a "filter" that traps particles. When you freeze a gelatin gel and defrost it, it will weep liquid. This is called "syneresis".