Making your own stocks gives that extra flavor to all your soups, stews, sauces and more. Fish stock is light, but flavorful. It doesn't need much time like other types of stock do. You only have to let it simmer for 30 minutes, otherwise the stock will taste a bit bitter.
The most important thing is that your fish stock doesn't come to a boil. When it does, it will become cloudy.
Ingredients for home-made fish stock
- 1 kg fish bones, heads etc.
- 2+ liter water
- whites of 1 leek
- 1 large onion
- about 150 gram celery root
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 30 gram butter
- few sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- a few peppercorns
How to make fish stock ingredients
Rinse, peel and chop up the veggies in small pieces, but not too small. Also clean the fish bones under running cold water and get rid of the gills. If you like, you can cut the large fish bones in smaller pieces so it's easier to strain the stock later on.
Heat butter in a large pan on medium high heat. Saute the chopped veggies for a few minutes. Add the fish bones, heads etc. and place the lid on the pan. This way the veggies and fish will
sweat, that's means more flavor! After another few minutes, add in the white wine and lemon juice and let it cook for again a few minutes.
Pour the water along with the herbs into the pan. Let it simmer on very low heat for a maximum of 30 minutes. Meanwhile skim the foamy substance from the surface a few times during those 30 minutes.
Strain the fish stock using a fine sieve and a wet cheese cloth. It's ready! The stock should be clear, but if yours became cloudy anyway, read below how to get it clear again.
Clarifying your fish stock
When your stock did become cloudy after all, you can clarify it to make it more clear, because that's what you want. A beautiful, tasteful, light and clear fish stock.
Make sure your fish stock has cooled off completely, it's best to wait until it reached room temperature before refrigerating the stock. You've skimmed the foamy substance from the surface a few times during cooking, but you will notice there's still some left after the cooling off. Since the stock is now chilled, it's easier to get rid of the minuscule particulars.
To clarify the fish stock, you'll need some more veggies (onion, celery root, leek), white fish and egg whites. You'll need about 3 egg whites and about 150 gram finely chopped veggies for 1 liter of stock. You'll also need about 150 gram white fish, cut into small pieces.
Whip up the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then combine them with the chopped white fish and veggies. Add this to the cold fish stock and heat it up on low heat for about 20 minutes. Make sure it doesn't come to a boil!
Because of the slow heating process, the egg whites will solidify and that way the suspended solids, minuscule particulars, along with the egg whites will rise to the surface so it can be removed easily. After this, you need to strain it again using a cheese cloth.
How to make fish stock ingredients
Rinse, peel and chop up the veggies in small pieces, but not too small. Also clean the fish bones under running cold water and get rid of the gills. If you like, you can cut the large fish bones in smaller pieces so it's easier to strain the stock later on.
Heat butter in a large pan on medium high heat. Saute the chopped veggies for a few minutes. Add the fish bones, heads etc. and place the lid on the pan. This way the veggies and fish will sweat, that's means more flavor! After another few minutes, add in the white wine and lemon juice and let it cook for again a few minutes.
Pour the water along with the herbs into the pan. Let it simmer on very low heat for a maximum of 30 minutes. Meanwhile skim the foamy substance from the surface a few times during those 30 minutes.
Strain the fish stock using a fine sieve and a wet cheese cloth. It's ready! The stock should be clear, but if yours became cloudy anyway, read below how to get it clear again.