Clear Soups and Aspics

Clear soups are both beautiful and appetizing. They are also versatile as many different ingredients can be added to poach gently in the liquid– for example, thinly sliced vegetables, slivers offish, prawns or baby scallops.

Clear soups are made like stocks but with a lower proportion of water to other ingredients. They can be made from any kind of meat or vegetables except for starchy vegetables which cause cloudiness. Many Chinese soups, like the recipe opposite, are good examples of well-flavoured clear soups’ made with a variety of ingredients. Straining the stock through a sieve lined with muslin or a clean tea towel usually clears it enough but if you want a really shiny clear soup you can clarify it as for consomme by using egg shells and whites (below).