EGG DROP SOUP
Serves 6
This soup was inspired by the egg drop soup you can order in any Chinese restaurant across America. We also wanted to explore the interesting textural effect that liquid nitrogen has on eggs.
We make a rich poultry stock, and then we turn it into an Asian soup by infusing it with ginger, garlic, miso, and lemongrass. We heat the soup to 138°F just before we serve it. We also make “Egg Drops,” resembling ice cream Dippin’ Dots, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and serve them in the soup bowl. Then we pour the hot broth at the table and the diner gets to experience a myriad of temperature and textural changes as the frozen egg and hot broth find equilibrium. As the egg melts, the broth becomes richer and creamier and the umami flavors begin to meld together. The constantly changing temperatures and textures make it quite unlike any other egg drop soup.
POULTRY STOCK:
2 chicken carcasses
2 duck carcasses
1 large onion, cut into large dice
5 celery stalks, cut into large dice
1 carrot, cut into large dice
1 head of garlic
5 grams thyme leaves
12 peppercorns
SOUP:
20 grams canola oil
1 large onion, cut into small dice
100 grams ginger, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 lemongrass stalk, bulb and tough outer leaves removed, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2000 grams Poultry Stock
75 grams soy sauce
100 grams miso paste
50 grams sesame oil
Juice of 1 lime
EGG DROPS:
300 grams duck or chicken eggs
30 grams yuzu juice
5 grams grated horseradish
5 grams sesame oil
3 grams sea salt
TO FINISH:
10 grams micro kale
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Syringe (at least 10cc)
Liquid nitrogen (see Sources, here)
Insulated container or dewar
POULTRY STOCK:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Put the bones in a large roasting pan and roast for 1 hour, until they are golden brown. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns. Pour the cold water into the pot until it covers the bones by about 1 inch. Set the stock over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 hours, skimming fat and scum from the top occasionally as needed.
Prepare an ice bath. Use a spider to remove the bones and large vegetables, and then strain the finished stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a stainless-steel container or pitcher. Chill in the ice bath, refreshing the ice as needed, until the stock is cold. Once cold, it can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 5 days.
SOUP:
Put the canola oil in a large stockpot set over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering but not yet smoking, add the onion, ginger, shallot, garlic, and lemongrass, and reduce the heat to low. Sweat the aromatics for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Poultry Stock and soy sauce, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot and set over low heat. Put 4 ounces of hot soup in a bowl and add the miso paste. Stir to dissolve completely and then return the mixture to the pot. Add the sesame oil and lime juice. Keep the soup warm but do not allow it to boil. Heat to 138°F just before serving.
EGG DROPS:
Put the eggs, yuzu juice, horseradish, sesame oil, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Draw the mixture into a syringe. Fill an insulated container or dewar with liquid nitrogen. Use the syringe to expel 10-gram droplets into the liquid nitrogen. They will freeze into ½-inch spheres. Once the spheres stop bubbling, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the Egg Drops. Immediately put the Egg Drops in a chilled serving bowl and set it on the table. Pour 200 grams of hot soup into each of 6 individual bowls. At the table, scoop out 50 grams of Egg Drops and add to each bowl of hot soup. Garnish each bowl with micro kale. The egg drops will melt in front of the diners and create a myriad of textural and temperature changes in the soup.
