Fish Broth (Fish Stock) & Fish Fumet
Serves: 1 liter (4 cups) fish broth
Preparation time: 60 min.
The best fish bones to use are those from lean, white fish like cod, halibut or flounder. Don't use oily, fatty fish like mackerel, salmon or trout.
In Europe, you can buy these fish on the bone. The fish monger skins and filets the fish for you, giving you the filets for your evening meal and the bones for making the stock and final sauce. Unfortunately, in America sole arrives at the fish market preboned. But snapper, rock fish and other non-oily fish work equally well. A good fish merchant will save the carcasses for you if you ask him. As he normally throws these carcasses away, he shouldn't charge you for them. Be sure to also take the heads, they are especially rich in iodine and fat-soluble vitamins.
Ingredients:
- 500 gr (1 lb) bones, heads and tails of raw, non-oily fishes, shrimps heads and shells, cleaned fish skin (scales removed).
- 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 leek stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 medium sized carrot, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil for sautéeing
- salt
- 4 peppercorns
- 1 laurel leaf
- 1 thyme twig
- 2 parsley stalks
- 1 glass white wine (only for the fish fumet)
- juice of 1/2 lemon (only for the fish fumet)
Preparation:
In a cooking pot heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped celery, leek, onion and carrot for 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent. Don't brown the vegetables.
Add the fish bones and sauté for another couple of minutes. Add water (1 liter/4 cups), the peppercorns, laurel leaf, thyme twig and parsely. For the fish fumet add the wine and lemon juice. Bring up the heat until it starts to simmer. Let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Remove the fish bones first, strain the liquid and let it cool.
