list to causes of stock

There are a couple of things that can go wrong. What you need to do is review your process steps to find out where you have gone wrong. Off the top of my head, the main culprits are:

1) Stock should be started with cold water. This is so the impurities can dissolve and float to the top during cooking.
2) Stock should be simmered, gently. If the stock comes to a rolling boil, then chances are you will have a cloudy stock.
3) After resting, the stock needs to be strained through a fine strainer. (Preferably through a spigot.)

Hopefully those 3 points can help you track down what might have gone wrong.

yes, this! I actually forgot the second point, how foolish of me D:

That, and if you use bones, I'd been taught to make sure to blanch or roast the bones beforehand.

Boiling will cloud it
Skim well after 1st. simmer.
Throw away first simmer(this removes albumin and other junk)****
Put thru chinoise and or rinsed cheesecloth when finished
Next day take off top of refrigerated stock and disgard


****some places do some don't
Do not overcook or leave all day.

Most of above applies to chicken and white stock prep.

1. do not boil
2. do not boil

;)


dan

Interesting timing. Last night I made some chicken stock. I should have taken a picture, it was the clearest stock I've done in some time, very nice looking, as well as tasting great, as far as mostly unseasoned stock goes. Most of it is going into a sausage - tortellini soup for tonight's dinner.

I did use raw bones, no roasting first. I often do brown them in a hot oven before making stock, it gives a slighty richer flavor and a bit darker final product.

I bought some skin on, bone-in chicken breasts the other day, three nice ones for about 5 bucks. That first night I cut off two boneless breast sections, made some butter poached chicken breasts with a creamy mushroom vermouth sauce. Last night the third breast was cut up, chicken enchiladas. The rib bones, skin, etc. went into the stock pot along with a few stalks of celery, a couple of carrots, half a red onion. Seasoned with a pinch or two of salt, a couple bay leaves, some whole peppercorns, a couple of whole cloves.

Cover it all with cold water, put on a LOW flame. I kept it on the stove for about 4 hours or so. And during that time it never boiled. In fact, it never really simmered. I kept it just below the simmering point the whole time. Very few, if any bubbles, but you could see the liquid was hot and circulating. Skimmed as needed, trying to disturb it as little as possible.

So if you've read through this far, my tips for a clear stock are

- cold water to cover

- simmer as slowly as possible, take the time to bring it to temp

- disturb it as little as possible when skimming




We'll see how the soup tonight turns out.

mjb.

I would add just a little extra step to what Teamfat has said...

Bones in cold water first, bring up to a simmer then skim.
Then add vegies, turn it way down to lowest it can go and follow the rest.

If you search thru past threads here, one of the most common is chicken stock. Everyone has their own method, but its pretty much along the same lines.
....and don't boil.

Let us know how it goes, and welcome to Cheftalk too :)

If Mazza (the original poster of the question "list 2 causes for stock being cloudy) is a professional chef I would imagine he knows the answer to this one. So, is this a test quwstion or does he really not know???

Anyway, whatever, 2 causes for cloudy stock:

1) failing to skim and allowing the meat proteins to incorporate into the stock
2) boiling too rapidly (contributing to #1 above)
3) leaving the veggies in too long so they begin to break down and cloud the stock
4) disturbing the solids too much when straining the stock

OK, so that's 4 reasons. Choose any two.

Good stuff, we liked it.

Sausage and Tortellini soup

so we musn't let the bones boil? oh dear, there's so much I didn't know. D:

In response to Jock's post, how long should the veggies stay inside?

Depending on how low the simmer is, 1 to 2 hours but no more than that. I usually cook the bones 3 to 4 hours before adding the veggies. That gives the bones time to give up all thier flavor and break down the cartillage into gelatin for that luscious mouthfeel you get from a good stock. The veggies add flavor to this base.

oh. No wonder my stock never goes well! (that, and the fact that I rarely let the stock simmer for even MORE than an hour.... >____>)

I used to saute the vegetable alongside the bones, before pouring the water..

how about the herbs and spices, if I'm going to use them?

Do you ever read your textbook in school????:chef:

do I have one?

naw, just kidding. I have to admit that I'm teached -that- way. I guess my decision to go overseas to study was right. >___>