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We often think that fish stock is too complicated, but it doesn’t have to be, just don’t throw away your shrimps or crab shells, that is all you need.
This is a quick and easy version of a fish stock, for a more refined version you can make a fish fumet which is made with fish bones and will have a more delicate flavour.
While I use the quick and easy fish stock for risotto or paella, I use the Fish Fume for soups or delicate sauces.
I make the stock in my pressure cooker WMF Perfect Pressure Cooker (affiliate link to amazon), so it is done in 35 minutes.
If you want to know why I love it compared to others and what else I cook with it you can find my review here: Pressure Cooker
You can find the recipe for the fish fume in the recipe: Chayote Squash Mousse with Mussels and Cime di Rapa, which is a recipe from my Uncle Nicola a now retired restaurateur.
To make the fumet he uses a gurnard, but you can use any other small fish for soup, just ask your fish monger.
He puts the gurnard in a small roasting pan with salt and pepper.
Adds 1 cup of white wine and 4 cherry tomatoes cut into pieces and cooks the fish in a hot oven at 180 C for 20 minutes.
He then removes the meat and boils the head and the bones for 20 minutes with onion and cherry tomatoes, and if you want to see the recipe you will find it here:
Chayote Squash Mousse with Mussels and Cime di Rapa
For my quick and easy fish stock, I add to the shrimps and crab shell the vegetables and a Bouquet Garni herb bundle which I add to any stocks.
It’s 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.
To fill up my freezer I also make Chicken Stock with free-range chicken and Brown Stock with bone marrow.
I make sure I label them and put the date. Once the stocks are frozen they look exactly the same. With all the stock ready in the freezer, my weekly dinner meals are much easier to prepare.
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
Homemade Fish Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz shrimps heads crab claw shells
- 1 bouquet Garni leek leaf wrapped around rosemary, laurel and thyme
- 1 large carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1/2 tbsp sea coarser salt
- 5 peppercorns
- fresh water
Instructions
- Put the shrimps, crabs shells and all the ingredients in the pressure pan and cook it for 20 minutes.
- once it is ready, filter the stock with a paper towel
- Use it or freeze it into bags of various sizes, so it can be defrosted as big or small an amount as required.
- To defrost, microwave the container for 5 minutes, and then use as instructed in your recipe.
I’ve made chicken stock before, but I’ve never, ever attempted my own fish stock! Looks like it’s a great way of using up leftovers that you’d just throw away otherwise.
It is, such a waste as their flavour is superb!
I’ve never made fish stock before, always a bit nervous. Reading this has given me the confidence to give it a go though! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Thank you, I am glad to hear. You have great shrimps there
Agreed it’s easy and SO much cheaper than buying it. I always keep a bag in my freezer and just throw any shrimp or other shellfish shells into it as I go. Then every so often I make a batch of stock.
Oh yes, definitely cheaper
WOW!!! Love this recipe! I make homemade beef, chicken and vegetable stock but haven’t made fish stock yet–now I will.
Thanks, it is as easy as all the other stocks, no reasons not to try
What a great recipe to have on hand. I’ve never made fish stock but think I may now!
Thanks, it is really worth trying it