In part two of the article I am just going to continue on with giving you some information on modern French cooking and the phrases you might not know.

You know in most cases soup is not something that you get out of a can. In fact soup in it self in many forms can be a complete meal. Soups can be divided into two categories, thick and clear.

Clear soups are almost always made from consommés. Consommés are broths that have been clarified. Clarification of a broth is taking all the impurities or the little bits of things out of the broth to make it almost clear. This is done by creating what is known as a raft. A raft is created by adding vegetables and egg whites to a broth and slowly heating it to a slow simmer. This process will draw all the impurities out of the broth and leave a clear soup.

Thick soups are pretty standard soups based on beef, chicken or seafood stock. These soups are very common and most of what we eat daily. Thick soups are made from purees. Puree soups are composed from a basic ingredient, which can be a single vegetable, a combination of vegetables or a single item of poultry, game or shellfish. Almost all forms of these soups should be supported by a thickening agent. Some of the thickening agents you could use would be rice, potatoes, beans or even bread. Thick soups are tricky in a sense that they burn easily.

Hors-D’oeuvre or better known as appetizers are made from everything and served hot and cold. If you want to I will be glad to send you some holiday recipes for Hors-D’oeuvres. If you click down the bottom of the page on CHEF MIKE and let me know what kind or things you like I will get a couple of recipes together.

The next installment of Escoffier will go over the main entrée’s and desserts.

Have a great day!! Chef Mike

[Part 1]