Why bring cream to the boil?

[redmike]

Hi Guys and Dolls,

the following recipe is super simple and super tasty but when I cook I like to know why I'm told to do certain things. One instruction is ..

Combine broth and 1 cup cream in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil.

Why does one have to do it ?

thanks,

Michael

Cream of Broccoli Soup

removed recipe and changed to link due to copyright violation - kitchenelf

 

[ironchef]

Because you want the soup to be hot if you're serving it immediately and the liquids may seperate if they're not hot enough.

Why would you NOT want to bring it up to a boil?

 

[Gretchen]

ALERT ALERT.
When you are blending that hot soup in the blender, take the little thingy out of the top where you pour stuff in and cover it with a towel when blending. And don't overfill. Hot broccoli soup all over the kitchen and your face can cause a lot of profanity and pain.
I'm not sure you would absolutely need to have the cream hot. It would melt the butter. You are going to re-heat anyway--or refrigerate.
I might even puree the hot broth and broccoli and then add the cream and butter and bring to the simmer whisking it well. I don't see anything that would make the cream "curdle"/separate.
I have made a cream of broccoli soup using evaporated skim milk. Works pretty well for "every day" variety, not a special dinner.

 

[shpj4]

Hello and welcome to DC. I am curious why you would not to bring the cream to the boil.

Have a very lovely day.

 

[Alix]

Hot broccoli soup all over the kitchen and your face can cause a lot of profanity and pain.

Boy oh boy, thats for sure!!

 

[RPCookin]

Boy oh boy, thats for sure!!

Yeah.... hot liquids expand a lot when put into the blender at near boiling... extreme caution is advised...

And there is a reason to use care when boiling any dairy products... boiled too long they can break and you end up with the component parts instead of the homogenous whole. When something like that is brought to a boil, bring it JUST to a boil then remove from heat. I think it's boiled to blend the ingredients better and maybe thicken it a bit more?

 

[redmike]

thanks for all the answers

it's not that I didn't want 'to bring the cream to the boil' but simply that I wanted to know why I should.

I try to learn from every recipe that I cook and wondered why it was suggested that I boil it.

I melted the butter separately anyway so on balance it would seem better not to bring it to the boil - 'hot soup all over my face' and the 'component' parts breaking up', just so that it wouldn't make the soup colder.

I generally use an immersion blender for recipes like this and it seems to work well.

Someone left me a private message which didn't open ?

I'd forgotten (how quickly we forget) what fun people you all are !

thanks and regards,

Michael

 

[Mel!]

reply

Hello Redmike

I think bringing it to the boil is just to make it warm.
If u bring it to the boil and keep cooking, instead of removing it from the heat, it will change the textrue of the cream.

Mel

 

[Corey123]

Most recipes that I've used cream for, warn against that, as boiling can sometimes cause the cream to break (curdle). Especially if eggs were added to it.

Like custard for inststance. This is where a double boiler comes in handy to keep the mixture away from from the direct heat of the burner to avoid overcooking, curdling and burning.


~Corey123.

 

[laura_holmes]

I also agree, heat it so that it's warm enough, and not past the point of it boiling.

 

[YT2095]

Double cream shouldn`t split, even on boiling, single cream will though.

 

[ChefJune]

Shalom, Redmike!

you DON'T need to do it that way if you don't want to. Here's my recipe for Cream of Broccoli (or most any veggie) Soup. (Its copyrighted too, but I hold the copyright, so it's okay to print here -- I said so!)

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

6 servings

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound broccoli, cut into chunks
1 small onion, chopped
1 ounce white of leek, chopped
4 Tablespoons flour
1-1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup cream
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Braise garlic in butter. Add vegetables. Cook until tender. DO NOT BROWN!!!

Add flour and cook roux 8 minutes, stirring constantly. DO NOT BROWN!!!

Heat stock. Add hot stock slowly, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Purée in batches in food processor. Bring back to the boil and season to taste.

Heat the cream, but do not boil. Add hot cream slowly. Serve.

[If you wish, you may add one cup chopped cooked broccoli florets to the soup before serving.]

The recipe says to use the food processor to purée, but if you have one of those nufth stick blenders, those are the easiest for this purpose.

 

[jkath]

Someone left me a private message which didn't open ?

You probably have a good "pop up blocker" or at least that's what my computer blames that type of stuff on!
Just go up to "Private Messages" and you'll be able to find it from there. If you have any other questions, please ask!

Nice to have you back, btw.