Daily Kitchen Note
When making a rich soup or stew, excess grease can pool at the top, making the dish overly oily. By using a metal ladle filled with ice cubes, you can quickly chill and congeal the fat, allowing you to lift it away cleanly without losing much liquid.
How to Chill surface fat
- Fill a stainless steel ladle with a few ice cubes.
- Hold the ice-filled ladle gently over the surface of the soup or stew wherever you see extra grease.
- Allow the cold metal to attract and congeal the fat.
- Lift the ladle away and wipe off the congealed fat before repeating as necessary.
Why it works
The cold temperature of the ice chills the metal ladle, which in turn rapidly cools the fat on the surface of the hot liquid, causing it to congeal and stick to the bottom of the ladle.
Source
The Kitchn: This Grandma Tip for Degreasing Soups and Stews Works Like Magic
