How to Make Fish Stock: Easy Fish Stock Recipe

Fish stock is a flavorful broth made from fish bones, heads, and other trimmings, that provides the base for many dishes such as chowder, paella, and bouillabaisse. It is simmered for a shorter time than beef or chicken stock to capture its light and fresh flavors.

Fish fumet is a French-style concentrated fish stock that is made from white fish such as halibut, bream, or bass. The skin and bloodline are removed to keep the stock from becoming cloudy. Fish fumet is used for delicate sauces served with poached fish, lobster bisque, and seafood stews.

1. 1. Cod and clam chowder: A classic creamy seafood chowder with potatoes, leeks, celery, dry white wine, fish stock, heavy cream, clams, and cod. Served with fresh herbs, and lemon wedges.
2. 2. Classic Manhattan clam chowder: A lighter chowder with a base of fish stock and tomatoes, rather than roux and cream. It contains clams, potatoes, onion, celery, and fresh herbs.
3. 3. Bouillabaisse: A classic Provençal seafood stew loaded with clams, lobster, and fish in a fish broth delicately flavored with fennel and pastis, a licorice-flavored liqueur.
4. 4. Seafood paella: A spectacular Spanish rice dish that has a combination of seafood such as squid, shrimp, and mussels. The rice is cooked in a combination of fish stock and wine, and the use of saffron threads gives the dish a vibrant yellow color.
5. 5. Fish risotto. Arborio rice is cooked with fish stock and white wine, until creamy. The dish is finished with shrimp, crab meat, and chopped parsley.
6. 6. Cioppino: A fisherman’s stew from San Francisco that has a base of tomatoes and fish stock with firm white fish, crab, shrimp, and clams. It is served with crusty French or Italian bread.
7. 7. Lobster bisque: A velvety smooth bisque made from fish stock with chunks of lobster meat and finished with chives.
8. 8. Fish velouté sauce: Velouté is one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine, it can be made with any white stock but fish velouté is made with fish stock, clarified butter, and all-purpose flour. Serve over a fillet of fish.

Cooked fish stock can be stored in an airtight container for three to four days in the refrigerator. To extend the shelf life of cooked fish stock, freeze it in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Frozen stock can last up to 2 months.