Homemade fish stock is made by gently simmering fish bones with vegetables, herbs, and white wine. It has a light seafood flavor that works well in fish soup, chowder, risotto, and sauces. The stock is ready in about one hour and adds far more flavor than water.
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Ingredients
Use the bones and head from a fresh, mild white fish. I have tested this recipe with both mahi mahi and red snapper, and both make excellent stock. Grouper, hogfish, tripletail, and other snapper varieties will also work.
The fish head adds flavor, but it is not required. If you have only the backbone, ribs, fins, and tail, you can still make a good stock. Ask the fishmonger to remove the gills, or remove them before cooking because they can give the stock a bitter taste.
- Fish bones and heads
- Unsalted butter
- Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic
- Bay leaf, parsley, and thyme
- Whole black peppercorns
- Dry white wine
- Salt
- Cold water
An 8-quart soup pot is a good size for this recipe. You can also use a 10- or 12-quart stockpot if your fish bones are large. Choose a pot that holds the bones comfortably and add only enough cold water to cover them.
How to Make Fish Stock
Start by removing the gills from the fish bones to prevent cloudiness and off-flavors.
- Remove the gills from the fish head, if using. Rinse the fish bones and head well under cold running water to remove any blood. Cut the frame into pieces as needed so it fits comfortably in the pot.
- Roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened. Do not let them brown.
- Add the fish bones and head to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, gently turning the pieces once or twice.
- Pour in the white wine and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Add enough cold water to just cover the fish bones. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, and salt.
- Bring the liquid just to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 30 minutes. Do not boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot or large bowl. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs.
- Cool the stock promptly, then refrigerate or freeze it. If any fat collects on the surface after chilling, skim it off before using.
Don't Throw Away the Fish
Don't discard the bones right away. If there is still meat attached, let the bones cool enough to handle, then carefully pick off the fish.
Check the meat for bones before using it, especially if you're working with smaller fish that have finer bones.
The cooked fish is perfect for fish cakes, seafood chowder, fish salad, or another seafood meal.
Top Tips for Clear Fish Stock
- Use fresh bones and heads from lean fish such as snapper, grouper, hogfish, tripletail, yellow jack, or mahi mahi. Avoid oily fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
- Rinse the bones and heads under cold water to remove blood.
- Start with cold water and add only enough to cover the bones.
- Keep the stock at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Cool the stock promptly before refrigerating or freezing.
- Freeze it in pint-size containers so you can thaw only what you need.
Storage and Freezing Fish Stock
- Cool the stock promptly, then transfer it to covered containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, divide the stock among small freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Label and date each container, then freeze for up to 3 months.
- Pint-size containers work well because you can thaw only what you need.
Ways to Use Fish Stock
- Replace water or packaged broth in seafood soups and stews.
- Make a creamy Fish Chowder.
- Use it in Salmon Chowder for more seafood flavor.
- Deglaze the pan after searing fish.
- Add it to seafood risotto, paella, or pan sauces.
- Poach fish or shrimp in the stock.
Homemade Fish Stock Recipe
Ask your local fish market for fresh fish bones and heads. They may sell them for very little, and sometimes they will give them to you. Ask them to remove the gills and cut large fish frames into pieces that will fit your pot.
Use homemade fish stock in chowder, seafood soup, risotto, bisque, and pan sauces. It can also be used as a flavorful poaching liquid for fish and shrimp.
Seafood Recipes to Make with Fish Stock
FAQ
Simmer the fish stock for 20 to 45 minutes. Unlike meat stocks, fish stock doesn't require long cooking times and can be bitter if overcooked.
Allow the stock to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Yes! Fish stock can be used as a base for seafood soups, stews, risotto, and sauces. It adds good flavor to these dishes.
Yes. Mahi mahi bones and head pieces make a mild, clean-tasting fish stock. Remove the gills, rinse the bones well, and cut the frame into smaller pieces if needed to fit the pot. Mahi is lean, so it works well for soups, chowders, risotto, and seafood sauces.
Yes. A grouper carcass makes excellent fish stock, especially when a little meat remains on the bones. Grouper, snapper, hogfish, mahi mahi, and tripletail are all good choices because they have mild, lean flesh.
If the frame is too large for your pot, cut it into smaller pieces with sturdy kitchen shears or ask the fish market to cut it for you.
Homemade Fish Stock for Soup and Chowder
Ingredients
- 2-4 pounds fish bones and heads, gills removed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- A few sprigs of fresh parsley or thyme
- ½ cup white wine or the juice of ½ lemon
- kosher salt
- 8 cups cold water
Instructions
- Remove the gills if using fish heads. Rinse the bones under cold water and cut them into pieces if needed to fit your pot. Soak the bones in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Roughly chop onions, carrots, and celery, and garlic.
- In a large stockpot, heat butter or oil over medium heat and sauté the vegetables for about five minutes until softened but not browned.
- Add the fish bones to the pot and cook for another five minutes.
- Pour in white wine letting it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cold water, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley or thyme, and a generous pinch of salt. The bones should be completely submerged.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer uncovered over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low to maintain slight movement without boiling.
- Skim any foam that rises to the surface. Let the stock simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain it through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
- Allow the stock to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. Skim off the hardened fat before using or freezing the stock.
Notes
- Allow the stock to cool to room temperature before freezing.
- Divide the cooled stock into smaller portions in small containers.
- Label and date the containers.
- Freeze up to 3 months.
Dara says
This is the best stock for making soup and risotto!
Mason from Georgia says
I used this recipe with flounder bones. It came out great. thanks.