Clarified Stock

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 300 ml water
• 1 litre stock

Method

A clarification raft is the fastest way to turn murky stock into consommé. The egg white coagulates as it heats, trapping particulates in its mesh. This works because proteins denature around 60°C and fully set by 65°C — they form a net fine enough to catch gelatin, fat globules, and rendered meat solids that pass through standard straining.

Whisk 2 egg whites with 300 ml cold water until frothy. This isn't whisking for volume — you're building surface area so the proteins distribute evenly through the liquid. Pour your cold stock into this mixture whilst whisking. The temperature shock matters: cold stock hitting cold egg prevents the whites from scrambling into lumps before they've dispersed properly. If your stock is hot, add it in thirds, whisking between each pour, to keep the mixture below coagulation point until everything is incorporated.

Set the pot over medium heat. Whisk gently and continuously until tiny white flecks begin to cloud the liquid — this is the first protein setting, around 50°C. Stop whisking once you see this. Let the temperature climb to a bare simmer (around 65°C) without disturbance. The egg white will rise as a solid, porous mass — the raft — leaving clear liquid beneath. This takes 15–20 minutes. You'll know it's done when the surface of the raft is barely trembling and the liquid below shows no trace of cloudiness when you tilt the pot.

Line a fine sieve with damp muslin or cheesecloth and position it over a clean container. Pour the consommé through the cloth slowly and gently, letting gravity do the work. Resist the urge to press the raft — you'll push solids through and cloud the result. A litre of stock typically yields 800–900 ml of clarified liquid; the loss is the trapped impurities.

The clarified stock is ready to use immediately or to chill and store. Use it for aspics, refined sauces, or dishes where a pristine, bright appearance matters as much as the flavour.