Clarifying soup with eggshells

[PrettyCandles]

Anyone know how this is done? Came across it in an old cookbook (+60y old), and there was no explanation, as if it was commonplace.

My grandma used to do it but I don't remember whether it worked or not! Anyway, I Googled (because I can't remember quite how she used to do it) and this is what I found.

You need a couple of eggs. Separate the yols from the whites, then pull away the inner skin from the shells. Crush the shells into your soup or stock.

Add two egg whites to your soup, and beat over a low heat until a thick, high foam appears on top of the soup - takes 5 or 6 minutes. Stop beating and bring to the boil without stirring, then reduce to a low heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat, and stand for a few minutes before straining through a piece of wet muslin.

Apparently the use of egg shells comes from an ancient belief that the devil could be exorcised into an egg. This led to a belief that eggs can remove evil spirits - eggs can remove sulphur, and sulphur has always been associated with the devil. So when you clarify soups, you are apparently removing evil spirits from them too!!

The eggshells do really play a part in it! The shells & the whites attract the grease/sediment etc.

It is quite tricky but does really really work - a soup or jelly made in this way is sparklingly clear! However, it's not something I would do unless I was being paid (I'm a chef!) or had a v special reason.

Oh, wow - that's practically alchemy!

So you would only do this for a consomme or jelly, presumably? I thought it was an alternative to skimming when making soup from raw meat or fish.

Skimming off foamy crusty stuff, I mean, not fat. What exactly is the foamy crusty stuff? I've always assumed it is blood.