Homemade Fish Stock

3 quarts of fish stock with lemon and garlic.

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Rich, golden, and deeply flavored, this homemade fish stock transforms fish heads and bones into the base that makes chowders, risottos, and pan sauces taste like a pro made them. Ask your fishmonger for heads and frames — most will save them for you for free or next to nothing.

Servings

Calories 87.67kcal

Author Lisa Lotts

Equipment

1 large stock pot with lid
1 mesh sieve
1 fine mesh sieve
1 Funnel or bowl with a pouring spout
4 quart-sized storage containers optional

Ingredients

3 pounds fish heads or bones very fresh or frozen
½ fennel bulb sliced
½ onion peeled and sliced thin
3 cloves garlic smashed
½ lemon sliced
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 bunch parsley stems not the leaves)
4 sprigs thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
½ cup dry white wine or ⅓ cup of dry vermouth (optional)
4 quarts fresh water

Instructions

Combine 3 pounds fish heads or bones, ½ fennel bulb, ½ onion, 3 cloves garlic, ½ lemon, 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, 1 bunch parsley stems , 4 sprigs thyme, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ cup dry white wine, 4 quarts fresh water (or enough to cover all the ingredients) in a large stock pot.
Bring the pot to a low boil over medium-high heat. Once the stock begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, place the lid on the pot so it's slightly askew, and simmer for 30 minutes, up to 45 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and use a pair of tongs to fish out the big chunks of bone and vegetables. Transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet (the rim will catch any excess drips and juices. Set aside to cool.
Place a large mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the fish stock through the sieve.
Then put the fine sieve over one of the quart-sized containers and pour the stock through to remove the finer bits of detritus and denataured proteins released from the fish. Taste for seasonings and add additional salt if desired, to taste.
Fill each of the quart sized containers (Mine yielded about 3½ quarts). Set the stock aside to cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.

Video

Notes

If you used fish heads for your stock, the heads usually have quite a bit of meat in them.

While the stock cools, pick through the pile of bones and vegetables and pull away any chunks of whole fish you can find.

You can use them for soups and chowders, in fish tacos, for fish dip, or for salads (lettuce, pasta, rice, or a sandwich base with whole chunks of white fish, celery, onion, and mayo).

Storage and Freezing:

Store homemade fish stock in a sealed container or jar for 3-5 days.
Heat over medium heat on the stovetop.
Use the stock to make soups, chowders or delicate seafood sauces.
The fish stock lasts in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I recommend using plastic quart-sized containers with lids for freezing, or for smaller uses, freeze the stock in ice cube trays and then transfer to a zip top freezer bag (labeled, of course).

Nutrition