Using eggshells to skim fat?
I've been reading a memoir by a woman who worked as a cook's helper in the early 1900s. She explains that the cook would put egg shells in the stock and then whisk vigorously. (She doesn't say how finely broken up the shells were.) This would be done for a clear stock to be served as a consomme. It was then this helper's job to carefully skim all the fat from the surface. Does anyone know the purpose served by the eggshells? Apparently they help fat rise to the surface of a liquid? She definitely was not using the eggshells themselves to scoop fat off the surface - they were being whisked into the liquid. Thanks!
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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.