Homemade Fish Stock Recipe

A fish stock recipe is not complicated, infact it is much easier to make than chicken or beef stock. While the other stocks require a long cooking time, you can make fish stock in only 20 minutes. Fish stock is made with carrot, celery, and onion, some herbs for flavor, and small fish and/or leftover heads and shells from shrimps or crabs. I also add half of a lemon to add some acidity. Fish stock can be used in soups, sauces, seafood risotto, or paella.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Storing the stocks
• Stocking up your freezer
• Top tip
• 📋Homemade Fish Stock Recipe

This is a quick and easy version of a fish stock made by boiling a small fish, shrimp and crab shells left over with vegetables and herbs.

A stronger version is fish broth fumet which is made using a technique called "sweating" where the fish is first roasted in the oven. Fumet is also flavored with white wine and some stronger vegetables like tomatoes or mushrooms. It flavor and its color are more intense than the regular stock.

While I use the quick and easy fish stock for risotto or paella, I use the Fish Fume for soups or delicate sauces.

Ingredients

For this quick and easy fish stock, I use the following ingredients:

• Vegetables: a carrot, a stalk of celery, one onion
• Herbs: a Bouquet Garni herb bundle. I make it with a leek leaf wrapped around rosemary, laurel, and thyme freshly picked from the garden. The herbs, as well as the leek, add some subtle complexity to the broth.
• Fish or fish bones: in this recipe I use a gurnards, but you can also use sole, turbot, plaice, haddock, or gurnards. Do not use flavored solid oil fish like mackerel.
• Shrimps heads and shells: I keep all the shrimps heads and shells aside to make the stock. They add a nice sweet flavor.
• Lemon: half lemon will add some citrusy flavor to break the sweetness of the seafood.
• Salt and pepper granes

See recipe cards for quantities.

Instructions

Here is how to proceed to make a simple fish stock:

Storing the stocks

If you are storing the stock let it cool down and store in the fridge.

Stock will not last more than a few days in the fridge, so I like to freeze it in 2 cup - 500 ml containers. I usually fill 2 containers from one pot.

I also make Chicken Stock with free-range chicken and Brown Stock with bone marrow and keep a stock reserve in my freezer.

I make sure I label them and put the date. Once the stocks are frozen, they look the same.

My weekly dinner meals are much easier to prepare with a selection of stocks ready to use.

Stocking up your freezer

If you are interested to know what other prep food I freeze, you can read about it here in the article:

Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep

Top tip

• For a stronger fish stock recipe, you can check out the recipe: fish broth fumet
• You can use a white small fish like sole, turbot, plaice, haddock, or gurnards. Do not use oil fish with solid flavors
• Don't worry about the fish bones; the broth is strained
• Keep strictly to the cooking time. Seafood should never be overcooked as it develops a bitter flavor.
• You can make the stock ahead of time and either keep in the fridge for 1 day or freeze it.

If you are making this fish stock, leave your comment below I would like to know which one is your favorite. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.