Seafood Stock Recipes

SOPHIA'S HOMEMADE SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Cook and stir onions in the hot oil for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and bell peppers and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro, oregano, and bay leaves. Saute for 2 minutes more. Add water, fish parts, fish heads, clam juice, and peppercorns.
• Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer, uncovered, for at least 4 hours. Turn off heat and let cool for about 30 minutes.
• Remove bulk items from stock using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large container, making sure all fish bones have been removed. Use or freeze for future use.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Warm the oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add 1 1/2 quarts water, the wine, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for one hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, add enough water or white wine to make 1 quart.
• Cool completely, transfer to containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

SHRIMP STOCK

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Put shrimp in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Shell the shrimp, reserving shells. Set aside shrimp for the risotto.
• Heat oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, tomato and garlic. Cook 3 minutes. Add shrimp shells and cook 3 minutes more.
• Add the wine. Simmer 2 minutes.
• Add the shrimp cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Strain. Chop the reserved shrimp for use in the risotto recipe.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add onions, leeks, celery, fennel, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.
• Add herbes d'Provence, lavender, tarragon, orange zest, chiles, saffron, bay leaves, tomato paste, tomatoes, shrimp, and fish. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
• Stir in wine and let simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add stock and let simmer until flavorful, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl, pressing down on solids to extract liquid. Season with salt.

4-INGREDIENT SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a stock pot or a large saucepan.
• Pour over enough COLD water to cover the stock ingredients; bring to a boil over high heat, then gently simmer at least 4 hours, preferably 8 hours, replenishing the water as needed to keep about 1 quart of liquid in the pan.
• The pot may be covered or set a lid askew on it.
• Strain, cool and refrigerate until needed.
• If you are short on time, using a stock simmered for just 20-30 minutes is still better than using just water in any recipe calling for seafood stock.
• If you want a richer stock, start with at least 2 cups of the strained basic stock and continue to simmer it until the liquid is reduced by half (for one cup of rich stock).

SHRIMP STOCK

Steps:

• Combine shrimp shells, onion, lemon, chopped celery, celery leaves, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until reduced by 1/2, skimming off foam as necessary, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain and use or freeze for later use.

STRONG FISH STOCK

Steps:

• 1. Melt the butter in a heavy 7- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables become very soft without browning, about 8 minutes.
• 2. Place the fish head on the vegetables and stack the fish frames evenly on top. Pour in the wine, cover the pot tightly, and let the bones sweat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they have turned completely white.
• 3. Add enough very hot or boiling water to just barely cover the bones. Give the mixture a gentle stir and allow the brew to come to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, carefully skimming off any white foam that comes to the surface, trying not to take any herbs, spices, or vegetables with it. (Using a ladle and a circular motion, push the foam from the center to the outside of the pot, where it is easy to remove.)
• 4. Remove the pot from the stove, stir the stock again, and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and season lightly with salt. If you are not going to be using the stock within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible. Cover the stock after it is thoroughly chilled (it will have a light jellied consistency) and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
• Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

SHRIMP BROTH

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer about 20 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids.