The procedure for making white stock differs from that of brown stock mainly in that rather than roasting the bones beforehand, they are blanched instead. Blanching helps get rid of the impurities in the bones that can cloud the stock.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 4-6 hours
Here's How:
- Rinse bones in cold water.
- Transfer the bones to a heavy-bottomed stockpot.
- Add enough cold water to the pot to completely cover the bones. Figure about a quart of water for each pound of bones.
- Bring pot to a boil.
- Drain and rinse bones.
- Return the blanched bones to the pot and again cover with fresh, cold water.
- Bring pot to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to a simmer.
- Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.
- Add the mirepoix to the pot along with a sachet d'epices; tie the sachet string to the stockpot handle for easy retrieval later.
- Continue to simmer the stock and skim the impurities that rise to the surface. Liquid will evaporate, so make sure there's always enough water to cover the bones.
- After 4 to 6 hours, remove the pot from the heat.
- Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. Cool the stock quickly, using an ice bath if necessary.
Tips:
- The best bones to use for making stock are ones with a lot of cartilage, such as the so-called "knuckle" bones in the various leg joints. The bones of younger animals also have more cartilage, which is why veal bones are so desirable.
- Always start with cold water when making stock. It will help extract more collagen from the bones, which will produce a stock with more body.
- Don't let the stock boil, but rather, keep it at a gentle simmer. Also, don't stir the stock while it simmers. Just let it do its thing. All you need to worry about is skimming the scum off the top, and possibly adding more water if the liquid level drops too low.
What You Need:
- Beef, veal or chicken bones
- Heavy-bottomed roasting pan
- Heavy-bottomed stockpot
- Mirepoix
- Sachet
- Mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
