As it extracts all the juices from the surface of meat to wash it, that
should never be done unless it is absolutely necessary. Add cold
water, and put the stock=x)ot on a gentle fire and heat it gradually.
The albumen will dissolve if it is never heated above 160°, and will
not coagulate, but as, in this state, it is much lighter than water, it
will rise to the surface, and this is what makes the scum. The ris-
ing of the hardened albumen (scum) has the same effect in clarify-
ing stock as the white of eggs (which is albumen) and, as a rule, it
may be said, that the more scum there is, the clearer the stock will
be. If you want clear stock, remove the scum when it rises thickly.
Do not let the stock boil fast, because then part of the scum will
be dissolved and another part will go to the bottom, thus making
it difficult to obtain a clear broth. Always try to have the fire very
regular, as then it will not be necessary to add cold water in order
to make the scum rise; but if the fire is too warm at first, that will be
necessary. If fried onions are added to stock, tie them in a bag, as
they may cloud it without this precaution. Generally speaking, the
longer the stock simmers, the better it will be.
Removing Fat — The English and Americans prefer soup with the
fat removed; it has become the fashion and the fat is thought to look
badly, but the fat is food, and quite nutritious. The common people
on the continent prefer their soup covered with "eyes" (fat). The
scum is coagulated albumen, and if clean meat was used, the scum
will not be objectionable; it is certainly nutritious, and to throw it
away is clear waste. Its presence is not noticable in thickened soups
as it is mingled in and hidden by the other ingredients. Those who
want clear soux)s can easily make them, but it is well to understand
that they are less nutritious than others. In invalid cookery the fat
is removed because the stomach is then weak, and often not able to
digest it, but with healthy people the case is different.
When it is desired to remove the fat, soup can be allowed to
stand until next day, and it can then all be taken off; then the soup
can be re=warmed. Or any surplus fat on the surface of souj) may
be removed (after skimming off as much as x^ossible with a spoon)
by drawing a piece of blotting paper across it, which will remove all
the remaining fat. Or to take fat from soups, sauces, etc., thor-
oughly wet a cloth with cold water and pour the stock through it;
the coldness of the cloth will coagulate the fat, which will collect on
the cloth; repeat if necessary; if any particles of fat remain, take
them off with blotting paper as above. The fat on the cloth can be
removed and clarified, and is good for many purposes.
SOUPS 23
Page 13
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
As it extracts all the juices from the surface of meat to wash it, that should never be done unless it is absolutely necessary. Add cold water, and put the stock-pot on a gentle fire and heat it gradually. The albumen will dissolve if it is never heated above 160°, and will not coagulate, but as, in this state, it is much lighter than water, it will rise to the surface, and this is what makes the scum. The rising of the hardened albumen (scum) has the same effect in clarifying stock as the white of eggs (which is albumen) and, as a rule, it may be said, that the more scum there is, the clearer the stock will be. If you want clear stock, remove the scum when it rises thickly. Do not let the stock boil fast, because then part of the scum will be dissolved and another part will go to the bottom, thus making it difficult to obtain a clear broth. Always try to have the fire very regular, as then it will not be necessary to add cold water in order to make the scum rise; but if the fire is too warm at first, that will be necessary. If fried onions are added to stock, tie them in a bag, as they may cloud it without this precaution. Generally speaking, the longer the stock simmers, the better it will be.
Removing Fat — The English and Americans prefer soup with the fat removed; it has become the fashion and the fat is thought to look badly, but the fat is food, and quite nutritious. The common people on the continent prefer their soup covered with "eyes" (fat). The scum is coagulated albumen, and if clean meat was used, the scum will not be objectionable; it is certainly nutritious, and to throw it away is clear waste. Its presence is not noticable in thickened soups as it is mingled in and hidden by the other ingredients. Those who want clear soups can easily make them, but it is well to understand that they are less nutritious than others. In invalid cookery the fat is removed because the stomach is then weak, and often not able to digest it, but with healthy people the case is different.
When it is desired to remove the fat, soup can be allowed to stand until next day, and it can then all be taken off; then the soup can be rewarmed. Or any surplus fat on the surface of souj) may be removed (after skimming off as much as possible with a spoon) by drawing a piece of blotting paper across it, which will remove all the remaining fat. Or to take fat from soups, sauces, etc., thoroughly wet a cloth with cold water and pour the stock through it; the coldness of the cloth will coagulate the fat, which will collect on the cloth; repeat if necessary; if any particles of fat remain, take them off with blotting paper as above. The fat on the cloth can be removed and clarified, and is good for many purposes.