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We often think that the fish stock recipe 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.
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Fish stock and fish fumet
This is a quick and easy version of a fish stock made with shrimp and crab shells leftover.
A more refined version is fish fumet which is made with fish bones, it has a more delicate flavour. The fish is usually roasted first in the oven and flavoured with some white wine. A little bit more complicated, but more refined.
While I use the quick and easy fish stock for risotto or paella, I use the Fish Fume for soups or delicate sauces.
A quick solution
For my quick and easy fish stock, I add to the shrimps and crab shell the vegetables: a carrot, a stalk of celery, one onion and a Bouquet Garni herb bundle.
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.
I always make my stocks in the pressure cooker WMF Perfect Pressure Cooker (affiliate link to amazon), so they are done in 35 minutes.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simmer the fish stock for 1.5 hours.
Once the stock is ready, filter it with a cloth and you are ready to use it or freeze it.
Fish fumet recipe
You can find the recipe for the fish fumet 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 with a step by step video, you will find it here:
Chayote Squash Mousse with Mussels and Cime di Rapa
Storing the stocks
Stock will not last more than a few days in the fridge, so I like to freeze it in 2 cups – 500 ml containers. I usually get 2 containers from my pressure cooker.
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.
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
If you are making this fish stock leave your comment below I would like to know which one is your favourite. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋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 (affiliate link)(affiliate link)onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1/2 tbsp (affiliate link)(affiliate link)sea coarser salt
- 5 (affiliate link)(affiliate link)peppercorns
- fresh water
Equipment
- (affiliate link)(affiliate link)Pressure Cooker
- (affiliate link)(affiliate link)Fine Mesh Strainer
- (affiliate link)(affiliate link)Cutting board set
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.
Notes
- To make a quick fish stock you can use the head and shells from shrimps and crabs
- To make a more refine stock, check the fish fumet on the recipe Chayote mousse
- Strain the stock with a cloth
- Keeps in the fridge for 2 days
- Suitable for the freezer
Nicola @ Happy Healthy Motivated
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.
Laura
It is, such a waste as their flavour is superb!
chris
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 🙂
Laura
Thank you, I am glad to hear. You have great shrimps there
Ayngelina
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.
Laura
Oh yes, definitely cheaper
Kristen Chidsey
WOW!!! Love this recipe! I make homemade beef, chicken and vegetable stock but haven’t made fish stock yet–now I will.
Laura
Thanks, it is as easy as all the other stocks, no reasons not to try
Ellen
What a great recipe to have on hand. I’ve never made fish stock but think I may now!
Laura
Thanks, it is really worth trying it