Traditional tricks to perfect clear chicken soup
Chicken soup is a staple of many cuisines, and it's difficult to imagine a Sunday dinner without it. However, we often face the issue of it becoming cloudy. Fortunately, there is a simple way to prevent this.
How to prepare the perfect chicken soup?
Many of us wonder how to cook chicken soup that is not only delicious but also clear. We often make a crucial mistake that affects its appearance. Luckily, there are methods to save the soup and make it clear and aromatic.
Ways to make clear chicken soup
If our chicken soup is too cloudy, there is a quick way to improve its appearance. Our grandmothers had a reliable tip for this: simply add a few drops of vodka. Although it may sound unusual, it works instantly, crystalizing the soup and enhancing its flavour.
Alternatively, if we don't have vodka, we can use a charred onion or add a few ice cubes to the boiling soup. This causes the fat from the meat to collect on the surface, making it easier to remove.
Avoid mistakes when cooking
A common reason for cloudy chicken soup is adding the meat to the pot at the wrong time. It should be placed in cold water because adding it to boiling water can cause the soup to become cloudy. As a result, pieces of meat and fat may appear on the surface.
Grandma's chicken soup – traditional recipe ingredients (for about 4.5 litres):
Here is a traditional recipe for grandma's chicken soup, full of flavour, rich, and clear. It is cooked slowly, without haste, using bone-in meat and a large quantity of vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 1 soup chicken or about 1.1 kg of a mix (carcass, wings, legs),
- 300–500g beef brisket with bone,
- 4 carrots,
- 3 parsnips,
- 1/2 a large celery root,
- 1 leek,
- 1 onion,
- 1 small clove of garlic,
- a piece of Savoy cabbage,
- 5–6 allspice berries,
- 3 bay leaves,
- 10 black peppercorns,
- salt to taste,
- a pinch of sugar,
- a bunch of parsley or lovage.
Preparation method:
- Rinse the meat under cold water, place it in a large pot and cover with about 4.5 litres of cold water.
- Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat — do not rush.
- Skim off any scum that appears on the surface using a slotted spoon.
- Add the vegetables: carrots, parsnips, celery, leek, charred onion, garlic, and possibly cabbage — all whole.
- Add the spices: allspice, bay leaves, pepper.
- Reduce the heat to the minimum — the chicken soup should only "simmer" lightly, not boil.
- Cook without a lid for 3 to 5 hours — the longer, the better the flavour.
- 15 minutes before the end, add parsley or fresh lovage.
- Season with salt to taste, and optionally add a pinch of sugar.
