Tapioca Soup

Ingredients

• 5 oz tapioca
• 2 quarts stock (No. 105 or 106)

Method

Tapioca soup is built on a single principle: the starch granules need time and heat to hydrate and gelatinise fully. Start by combining the tapioca — uncooked, raw pearls — with cold stock in a heavy-bottomed pot. The cold liquid protects the granules from clumping during the initial heating phase. stock forms the base here; use either No. 105 (chicken or veal) or No. 106 (beef), depending on what you're serving with. The choice matters for flavour integration.

Bring the mixture to a boil gradually over medium heat, stirring occasionally in the first five minutes to prevent sticking on the pot floor. You're aiming for simmering heat once it breaks, not a rolling boil — a gentle bubble on the surface every second or so. This steady heat allows the farinaceous-foods starch to absorb liquid evenly. If the heat is too fierce, the outer pearls burst before the centres hydrate, leaving you with a broken, grainy texture and uneven mouthfeel.

Maintain this simmer for 15–20 minutes, depending on your tapioca's age and size. The pearls will transform from opaque to translucent at the core. Test by splitting one between your teeth: the inside should yield with no hard white centre. The cooking time isn't fixed — the sensory test is: when the last opaque spot vanishes from the pearl's heart, stop. The soup will thicken as you cook because starch leaches into the surrounding liquid, creating a light, silky base. This thickening is desirable and intentional.

Season carefully before service. The stock will have carried salt, but taste and adjust. Serve hot in warmed bowls. The soup is best eaten at the point of service, as the tapioca will continue to absorb liquid and become paste-like if left standing. If you must hold it, keep the temperature at a bare simmer and thin with warm stock just before plating. The dish should be light and slippery, not stodgy — the stock should be visible between the pearls, not a thick spoon-standing mass.