I'll teach you how to make white chicken stock the right way. You'll learn why blanching matters, how to keep it crystal clear, and the small details most recipes skip. The result is pure chicken flavor and that liquid gold that makes everything you cook taste next level.
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What is White Chicken Stock?
A White Chicken Stock (Fond Blanc De Volaille) should have good flavor, clarity, high gelatin content, and little to no color.
The opposite of this recipe is a Brown Stock (Roasted Chicken Stock), where you roast the bones for a darker color and more depth of flavor. That stock can be reduced down into a Chicken Demi Glace. You can apply these same roasting principles to my Veal Stock Recipe.
To make this white stock, we will blanch the bones, add in our rough-cut mirepoix (check out my Knife Skills Guide), aromatics, cover with cold water, and simmer for 3 hours.
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Ingredients
- Chicken Bones - The best bones for chicken stock are from the neck, back, and feet. Follow my guide on how to break down a whole chicken and freeze those bones for stock.
- Mirepoix - I used a combination of carrots, celery root, fennel, and onions.
- Aromatics - Bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
See recipe card for quantities.
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How To Make White Chicken Stock
Step 1. Blanching Chicken Bones
Place the chicken bones in a stockpot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, skimming off the scum that rises to the surface. Drain off the water and impurities.
Step 2. Mirepoix and Aromatics
Cover the bones with 2 gallons of fresh cold water, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and skim the scum that forms.
Add in rough-cut mirepoix ( onion, carrots, celery root, fennel) and aromatics (bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, and herbs).
Step 3. Simmer Stock
Simmer the chicken stock for 3 hours, skimming off the scum throughout the cooking process.
Step 4. Strain, Cool, and Refrigerate
Remove the chicken bones with a handheld strainer, like a spider, and discard or save for a remouillage (second run).
Gently pour or ladle the chicken stock through a fine-mesh strainer or china cap (affiliate link) covered with cheesecloth resting in a large bowl or container to catch the crystal clear white stock.
Set up an ice bath in your sink (water and ice), then submerge the container. Chill the stock down to 70°F within 2 hours and 40°F within 4 hours.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. The next day, scrape off the layer of fat that rises to the surface.
Why Blanching Matters
Blanching chicken bones is the process of covering them with cold water, bringing the water to a boil, skimming off the blood and impurities, and draining away the water.
This yields a crystal clear stock, which can be later thickened by a Roux and turned into a classic Velouté Sauce.
Principles Of Stock Making
- Start The Stock In Cold Water. The ingredients should always be covered with cold water to bring the blood and other impurities to the surface.
- Simmer The Stock Gently. The stock should be brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer, a temperature around 185°F (85°C). Boiling results in a cloudy stock.
- Skim The Stock. A stock should be skimmed often to remove the fat and impurities that rise to the surface.
- Strain The Stock Carefully. Gently pour or ladle through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
- Cool The Stock Quickly. Transfer the stock to a metal container and place it in an ice bath (ice and water) to chill.
- Store The Stock Properly. Once the stock has chilled, transfer to a plastic or glass container and refrigerate.
- Degrease The Stock. When a stock is refrigerated, fat rises to its surface, hardens, and is easily scraped away before the stock is reheated.
Can I make this in an Instant Pot?
Yes, you can make stock in a pressure cooker just like my Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth.
- Manual High Pressure: 60 minutes
- Use a natural pressure release (20+ minutes). A "Quick Release" causes a violent flash-boil that emulsifies the fat and proteins, turning your clear stock permanently cloudy.
- Small Batch Ratio: 2 pounds of chicken bones to 2 quarts of cold water
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerate: I like to store my stock in mason jars or plastic deli containers because they stack neatly. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate for up to five days.
Freeze: Portion the stock into ice cube trays for a quick pan sauce or freeze it in pint deli containers (affiliate link). It freezes beautifully and is good for 4-5 months.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use a whole chicken, but you are making broth and not stock. In stock making, we use specific bones and qualities to achieve a gelatinous stock.
You'll want at least a 16-quart stockpot (affiliate link) to fit 10 pounds of bones, vegetables, and water.
Don't toss those scraps! Whenever you break down a whole chicken, save the backs and necks in a freezer bag.
Recipes Using Chicken Stock
📖 Recipe
Classic White Chicken Stock (Fond Blanc de Volaille)
Ingredients
- 7 pounds chicken carcasses
- 3 pounds chicken feet
- 2 gallons cold water
- 1 onion roughly cut
- 1 celery root roughly cut
- 1 fennel bulb roughly cut
- 2 carrots roughly cut
- 1 bulb of garlic cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- herbs small bundle of parsley, rosemary, and thyme
Instructions
- Place the bones in a stockpot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, skimming off the scum that rises to the surface. Drain off the water and impurities. Then add the 2 gallons of cold water and bring to a simmer.
- Add the mirepoix and aromatics to the simmering stock.
- Continue simmering and skimming the stock for 3 hours.
- Strain the stock through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer, then rapidly chill in an ice bath to 40°F within four hours. After refrigerating for 24 hours, simply scrape away the solidified fat cap.
Notes
- Cold Water - Helps the blood and impurities to come to the surface to be skimmed.
- Don't Boil - This will cause the impurities and fat to be mixed together resulting in a cloudy stock.
- Strain - I like to pass stock through cheesecloth and a fine-mesh strainer for a crystal-clear stock.
- Remove Fat - Refrigerate stock for 24 hours, then scrap off the top layer of fat before using.
- Chicken Bones - For a stock that gels use chicken backs, neck, and feet.
- Storage - Chicken stock will keep for 5 days in the fridge or for 6 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Mike Cleavenger says
A great stock for soups, and sauces.