A clear stock is a skimmed stock

Cloudiness is not a mystery. It is fat and protein that were boiled back into the liquid instead of being lifted off the top.

1. Start in cold water. Bones dropped into hot water seal, and everything that should have risen to the top stays inside.
2. Never let it boil. A stock at a rolling boil emulsifies its own fat back into itself and no amount of straining will undo it. You want one bubble every two seconds.
3. Pull the pot half off the burner. Everything collects on the cool side, where a ladle can take it without stirring the pot.
4. Strain through muslin without pressing, and cool it fast and uncovered. A lid traps steam, the stock stays warm for hours and goes sour by morning.