This all-purpose fish stock has the added aroma of allspice or juniper berries. Use it where ever you want the rich backdrop of seafood stock.
Steps
1
Mise en Place
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter
2 pounds fish bones and/or trimmings
2 cups sliced fennel with fronds
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cups white wine
1 cup red or white wine vinegar
10 allspice berries or 5 juniper berries
5 peppercorns
1 teaspoons salt
3 quarts water
Gather all the ingredients, as well as a stock pot.
2
Sweating the fish bones and/or trimmings
Ingredients
4 tbsp butter
2 pounds fish bones and/or trimmings
Heat the butter in a large, wide pot (8 quarts or bigger) over medium-low
heat. Add the fish bones and/or trimmings and cook, without stirring, until
they are almost cooked through, about 15 minutes.
3
Adding the Aromatics
Ingredients
2 cups sliced fennel with fronds
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 cups white wine
1 cup red or white wine vinegar
10 allspice berries or 5 juniper berries
5 peppercorns
1 teaspoons salt
Add the fennel, celery, wine, vinegar, allspice, peppercorns, and salt. Cook until
the liquid begins to steam and the alcohol dissipates, about 5 minutes. Add the
water and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes then turn off the
heat. Let the stock sit for 10 minutes, allowing the solids to settle.
4
Finishing the Stock
Ingredients
3 quarts water
Ladle the liquid off and pour through a strainer into a bowl. Once you reach
the bottom of the pot, pour the remaining liquid through a strainer into a
separate bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the particles to settle. Ladle
off the clear liquid from the top, discarding any liquid that is murky. Discard all
the solids and combine the two stocks. Use immediately, refrigerate, or freeze
for later use. This stock can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days or frozen for up to
3 months. (When the stock chills, it will have a loose, gelatinous texture.)
