On Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 4:40:01 PM UTC-5, dsi1 wrote:
> On Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 1:05:07 AM UTC-10, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> > On Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7:26:24 PM UTC-5, Jill McQuown wrote:
> > > On 11/11/2018 6:09 PM, notbob wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I see a lotta French and Italian recipes that demand skimming.Â* Me?
> > > > ....I got questions.
> > > >
> > > > Like, why.Â* Fer French food, it seems to be a "clarify the broth" issue.
> > > > Same with Italian dishes.
> > > >
> > > > OTOH, not my experience.Â* For instance, if I "skim" a pot o' Minestone,
> > > > the "skimming" seems to eliminate anything suspended in olive oil.
> > > > Thyme, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Same with Red Beans (sans rice).Â* I getta lotta "crud" floating on the
> > > > top.Â* Should I skim it?Â* Typically, I scrape the sides where the spices
> > > > (thyme, Creole mix, etc) seem to collect, as the liquid boils down.Â* If
> > > > I skim it, there go the spices.
> > > >
> > > > I usta have an all brass/copper skimmer, but I sold it on ebay.Â* Now, I
> > > > jes use a large spoon.Â* Works jes as well.Â*
> > > >
> > > > nb
> > >
> > > I'm not sure I undersand your questions. I skim broth/stock to remove
> > > excess fat. I don't use a special tool to do it. I chill the broth in
> > > the refrigerator, let the fat rise to the top. It solidifies then I use
> > > a deep spoon to discard it. No special tool required.
> > >
> > > If I don't want herbs or peppercorns in the stock I use a tea-ball to
> > > season it. Easily removable.
> > >
> > > Jill
> >
> > People who are very serious about making clear, clean-tasting broth or
> > stock skim the protein foam that rises to the top during simmering.
> >
> > Cindy Hamilton
>
> When braising pork, I don't bother to skim. I'll just boil the pork for 20 minutes or so and then dump the water out and rinse the pork. Then I continue with fresh water. It's kind of a Japanese/Okinawan thing.

Apples and oranges. One skims when one wants to save the liquid.

Cindy Hamilton