Using eggshells to skim fat?

I thought it was an egg white mixedintothe stock.

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I have done the following before; with patience it works well.
Defatting and Clarifying

To get most of the fat out of a stock, you can simply chill it. The fat will harden and float on top of the stock where it can be scooped off easily. One can also use a fat separator, which are like a big measuring cup with a siphon from the bottom, which allows you to pour the stock out while trapping the fat.

To completely clarify stock, use the following method:

Beat egg whites to soft peaks, one for each quart/liter of stock.
Crumple the eggs-shells and mix them through the egg whites.
Stir the mixture in to the stock and bring it to a simmer, do not let it boil. The egg-whites will coagulate, rise, and take any particles and cloudiness out of the stock.
Keep a close eye on the simmer (push the coagulated egg-whites to the side a bit to see) and let it simmer for about ten minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for another ten minutes.
Finally, sieve the stock again through a tea towel.

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Thanks Sally. But she makes a point of saying that the cook "put in the eggshells, not the eggs themselves..." FYI it's a memoir vs. cookbook: "Below Stairs," 1968 by Margaret Powell. Apparently the 1970s BBC series "Upstairs, Downstairs" was based on this book (and then more recently, "Downton Abbey").

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mbergner - Very interesting. Thank you! The egg whites & shells must be a similar technique to the one SallyBroff referred to. And sieving the stock through a tea towel sounds appropriate to this book. (No wonder they needed servants.)

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ChefOno added about 1 year ago

Voted the Best Answer!

The method mbergner describes may be performed with egg whites alone, just not as effectively. It's not about separating the fat but about clarification of the stock, removing the fine particles which make it appear cloudy. As the proteins from the whites and shells coagulate, they bind with the impurities, thus clarifying the liquid. The resulting mass forms a "raft" from which the technique derives its name.

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ChefOno added about 1 year ago

Crud! I meant "may be performed with egg shells alone".

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ChefOno, what is the name of the technique? Thank you.

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It is called forming a raft. Often meat is used as well, maybe more for flavor.

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ChefOno added about 1 year ago

Yes, the meat adds flavor (to replace some of what is lost during clarification) and also aids in the process. Mirepoix is also a common invitee to the party for flavor augmentation.

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CO, thanks - re "egg shells alone"

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