Secrets to crystal clear chicken soup: Grandma's recipe
Chicken soup is a staple in many cuisines. However, many people face the challenge of it becoming cloudy. Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent this.
How to prepare the perfect chicken soup?
Many of us wonder how to make chicken soup that's both tasty and clear. Often, we make a crucial mistake that affects its appearance. Fortunately, there are techniques to save the soup, making it clear and aromatic.
Ways to make clear chicken soup
If your chicken soup turns out cloudy, there's a quick fix to improve its appearance. Our grandmothers had a reliable tip for this: just add a few drops of vodka. It may sound unusual, but it works instantly, making the soup crystal clear while enhancing its flavor.
Alternatively, if you don't have vodka, you can use a charred onion or add a few ice cubes to the boiling soup. This will cause the fat from the meat to rise to 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, as 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 1 gallon):
Here is a traditional recipe for grandma's chicken soup, full of flavor, rich, and clear. It is cooked slowly and without hurry, using bone-in meat and a large quantity of vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 1 soup chicken or about 2.5 lbs of a mix (carcass, wings, legs),
- 10–18 oz 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 1 gallon 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 flavor.
- 15 minutes before the end, add parsley or fresh lovage.
- Season with salt to taste, and optionally add a pinch of sugar.
