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May 11, 2008

Kitchen Blogging - New Toy (#2)

1.3 litre 100 micron SuperBagIt looks a bit like a small chef's hat, except that you can see through it—which makes it entirely inappropriate for hiding small chefs. I'm not certain where I first heard about the Superbag, but it may have been from my gourmet-obsessed friend Dave, who claims he makes sauces and stocks almost daily and who swears by his 1.3 liter 100 micron Superbag.

A Superbag is essentially a flexible chinois. You use it for straining, and if you get one with very fine 100-micron holes, you can use it for clarifying things such as consommés. Since it is flexible, you can squeeze it to wring out the moisture and flavor from whatever you are straining. They use them at El Bulli (see Chow.com link, below) to make almond milk, and there are reports on the web of using them to collect tomato water and other concentrated (and very clear) fruit juices.

I've used mine to clarify chicken stock, and to wring out all of the moisture from reconstitued porcini mushrooms when making mushroom stock. I think it's really neat, and like all really neat things, it causes me to think about interesting problems it might solve that I didn't even know I had.

There isn't much on the web about the Superbag, but I've collected what I could find in the links below, including a link to Le Sanctuaire in San Franciso, where they will be happy to sell you a Superbag of your own.

Chow.com story on strainers including the Superbag
Blog entry on the Superbag by Chef Shola Olunloyo of Studiokitchen in Philadelphia
eGullet Superbag thread
Buy your own Superbag at Le Sanctuaire

Other Sweet and Sour Spectator Kitchen Blogging Entries: New Toy (#1)

Posted by Paul at May 11, 2008 03:51 AM | Food & Wine

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