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Curiously egg whites are also used to remove particles from stock (chicken, veal, beef) when you want to have a crystal clear liquid.

akashshah87 4y ago
Also used to filter wine - see https://www.winespectator.com/articles/are-egg-whites-really-used-in-winemaking-5452 https://www.winespectator.com/articles/are-egg-whites-really...
- glial 4y ago
  And Swedish egg coffee.
  - piva00 4y ago
    Which funnily is absolutely not a thing here in Sweden. First time I heard about "Swedish egg coffee" from American colleagues I was really puzzled, had to do some research about it because I never heard or seen it. It seems to come from some Swedish immigrants to the USA that used eggs instead of fish skins to remove impurities from coffee.
    - thfuran 4y ago
      Wait, so swedish fish coffee is the real deal?
      - piva00 4y ago
        In the 19th century, for sure!
    - glial 4y ago
      Interesting! I first saw it at a state fair in the US. They mentioned Swedish immigrants too, but didn't say whether they invented the technique. I was skeptical but...it's actually great.
- AStrangeMorrow 4y ago
  Yes, that's also where the french dessert canelé comes from: the egg whites being used for wine filtering, you have a lot of yolks left. So instead of wasting them, they were/are used to make canelés.
Wistar 4y ago
Consomme technique.
Larrikin 4y ago
I found this a very interesting technique when you posted it, but I actually wonder now if there is much point to it. Most of the gunk is filtered out when making a stock when you pass it through a sieve and/or a cheese cloth. OfIs a clear broth actually something that matters besides a gate keeping technique in French cuisine?
- causi 4y ago
  Maybe you have specific aesthetic goals.
  - Melting_Harps 4y ago
    > Maybe you have specific aesthetic goals. Traditional French (beef) buillon is made this way, it's presentation and taste is specifically light as it's the starter course in a multi-course meal so it's there to just whet the appetite not serve as a stand-alone meal. The way that it' finished is using the egg technique to ensure it's clarified after being passed through a cloth and chinois. It's the same way in Japanese cooking, in order to get a proper dashi you have to ensure you don't let things get to a boil because the katsubushi or my personal favorite niboshi can break up and then ruin it entirely at those temps and it will become bitter and unusable to make soups, sauces and braises with. So, yes, it has a purpose beyond just looks.
- random42_ 4y ago
  As already mentioned in this thread, this is done mostly for aesthetic purposes, like when making a consommé - which is judged also by how clear the liquid is, besides flavor. Other than that, you shouldn’t bother if you’re using the stock to make other dishes.
- hansvm 4y ago
  If you aren't careful with how you make your stock (e.g., including the scales and whatnot in a fish stock and cooking on higher heat levels), the egg whites will pull out some off flavors. Otherwise it's mostly aesthetics.
wirrbel 4y ago
First thought I had : grandma used to clarify broth with eggs. Iirc you can also use it to prepare coffee when camping. The egg binds to ground coffee in a saucepan so it’s better separated from the coffee you pour into your mug

akashshah87 4y ago

Also used to filter wine - see https://www.winespectator.com/articles/are-egg-whites-really-used-in-winemaking-5452 https://www.winespectator.com/articles/are-egg-whites-really...

glial 4y ago
And Swedish egg coffee.
- piva00 4y ago
  Which funnily is absolutely not a thing here in Sweden. First time I heard about "Swedish egg coffee" from American colleagues I was really puzzled, had to do some research about it because I never heard or seen it. It seems to come from some Swedish immigrants to the USA that used eggs instead of fish skins to remove impurities from coffee.
  - thfuran 4y ago
    Wait, so swedish fish coffee is the real deal?
    - piva00 4y ago
      In the 19th century, for sure!
  - glial 4y ago
    Interesting! I first saw it at a state fair in the US. They mentioned Swedish immigrants too, but didn't say whether they invented the technique. I was skeptical but...it's actually great.
AStrangeMorrow 4y ago
Yes, that's also where the french dessert canelé comes from: the egg whites being used for wine filtering, you have a lot of yolks left. So instead of wasting them, they were/are used to make canelés.

Wistar 4y ago

Consomme technique.

Larrikin 4y ago

I found this a very interesting technique when you posted it, but I actually wonder now if there is much point to it. Most of the gunk is filtered out when making a stock when you pass it through a sieve and/or a cheese cloth. OfIs a clear broth actually something that matters besides a gate keeping technique in French cuisine?

causi 4y ago
Maybe you have specific aesthetic goals.
- Melting_Harps 4y ago
  > Maybe you have specific aesthetic goals. Traditional French (beef) buillon is made this way, it's presentation and taste is specifically light as it's the starter course in a multi-course meal so it's there to just whet the appetite not serve as a stand-alone meal. The way that it' finished is using the egg technique to ensure it's clarified after being passed through a cloth and chinois. It's the same way in Japanese cooking, in order to get a proper dashi you have to ensure you don't let things get to a boil because the katsubushi or my personal favorite niboshi can break up and then ruin it entirely at those temps and it will become bitter and unusable to make soups, sauces and braises with. So, yes, it has a purpose beyond just looks.
random42_ 4y ago
As already mentioned in this thread, this is done mostly for aesthetic purposes, like when making a consommé - which is judged also by how clear the liquid is, besides flavor. Other than that, you shouldn’t bother if you’re using the stock to make other dishes.
hansvm 4y ago
If you aren't careful with how you make your stock (e.g., including the scales and whatnot in a fish stock and cooking on higher heat levels), the egg whites will pull out some off flavors. Otherwise it's mostly aesthetics.

wirrbel 4y ago

First thought I had : grandma used to clarify broth with eggs. Iirc you can also use it to prepare coffee when camping. The egg binds to ground coffee in a saucepan so it’s better separated from the coffee you pour into your mug