<p>Often when I cook I end up with kinda biphasic liquids because apparently all the rich chicken broth, fresh vegetables, herbs and spices like to form oils… it’s not like a complete separation though. (Separation also becomes an issue as it may not be noticeable in a hot pot initially but it gets induced when the soup cools and especially when you put it in the fridge.) </p>
<p>Is this really a comestic concern? Will texture improve if I somehow got an emulsifying agent to keep the layers more unified? Egg white? Milk? Dissolve mashed potato in it? Soak a teabag? (Why don’t stores sell lecithin? =( ) </p>
<p>In fact, I’m often amazed at how the chicken broth you buy in stores in canned form (or the powder you dissolve in water) is so homogeneous because the chicken broth I make is always biphasic.</p>
<p>Homemade water based soups (eg chicken noodle) will always have some separation… it’s totally normal and part of the texture–you get a bit of the oily layer each time you take a spoon-full. </p>
<p>If there’s a huge amount of fat in the top layer you could just skim the excess off while it’s still warm (it will likely solidify in the fridge until you reheat it)… the amount left on top of the soup is really a personal preference. </p>
<p>As for trying to emulsify the fat into the water layer I suppose you could try adding some egg yolk, but personally I really don’t see the point since these soups should always have a little ‘oil slick’ on top. </p>
<p>As for the stuff you buy pre-processed at the store or in powder form those things are typically commercially processed beyond recognition… when soup comes in powder form you have to question what’s actually in there…</p>
<p>But I make my soup with the bones! I throw in chicken pieces and simmer… I even chop up the bones while they’re frozen to expose the marrow to solution…</p>
<p>If it’s just a little, mix it in and serve. Not a big deal.</p>
<p>If it’s a lot, then try adding less fat to begin with - take some of the skin off poultry, for example, and use less oil when sauteing veggies. Or skim it off the top.</p>
<p>If you really insist on emulsifying it in, then there’s not much you can do. Adding egg yolk is a somewhat advanced technique requiring you to temper the yolks and control the heat carefully, but will mix in that lecithin you want and also thicken the soup at the same time (adding egg white is pointless). It can be tricky to pull off and not really accomplish much.</p>
<p>Simplest way is to add a little of mono/diglycerides (detergent) but most detergents are not odorless. (surface tension)</p>
<p>Another but more expensive but the flavor will be more altered is using a solvent such as an ethyl alcohol (neutral grain spirits) or lemon/orange oil.</p>
<p>You can probably use a blender and homogenize the oil into the water. The resulting colloid will probably be clouded. </p>
<p>We make our own chic broth by stewing a whole/skinless chic in a large crockpot. There still is a bit of oil which is removed by using paper towels when warm and skimmed when cold.</p>
<p>I made pot of turkey bone soup. Put the leftover soup in the mildly heated garage and forgot it amongst the other leftovers. Threw out the soup today because the soup was clouded. </p>
<p>Meat broths are meant to be clear. Meat broths are used for a growing medium for bacteria.
Clouded broth is not a good sign. Purposely clouded broth is an illness a waiting.</p>
<p>Chicken broth will be cloudy if the broth is boiled, rather than simmered. To make a pretty, clear broth in the Chinese (and French) tradition, you need to barely simmer the broth, then strain out the bits through cheese cloth. If you want a completely mono-phasic broth, you’ll need to chill the broth (very cold) overnight, then remove the solidified chicken fat (save it, it’s lovely for cooking).</p>