Strong Fish Stock

By es123

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
• 4 stalks celery, very thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, very thinly sliced
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems
• 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 large (6 inches long or more) or 2 small (4 inches long or less) fish heads from cod or haddock, split lengthwise, gills removed, and rinsed clean of any blood
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds fish frames (bones) from sole, flounder, bass, and/or halibut, cut into 2-inch pieces and rinsed clean of any blood
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 About 2 quarts very hot or boiling water
• Kosher or sea salt

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

1. Melt the butter in a heavy 7- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables become very soft without browning, about 8 minutes.
2. Place the fish head on the vegetables and stack the fish frames evenly on top. Pour in the wine, cover the pot tightly, and let the bones sweat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they have turned completely white.
3. Add enough very hot or boiling water to just barely cover the bones. Give the mixture a gentle stir and allow the brew to come to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, carefully skimming off any white foam that comes to the surface, trying not to take any herbs, spices, or vegetables with it. (Using a ladle and a circular motion, push the foam from the center to the outside of the pot, where it is easy to remove.)
4. Remove the pot from the stove, stir the stock again, and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and season lightly with salt. If you are not going to be using the stock within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible. Cover the stock after it is thoroughly chilled (it will have a light jellied consistency) and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Cook Notes
Strong Fish Stock can be used in any fish chowder, using 1 or 2 heads form haddock or cod mixed with any combination of flounder, sole, bass and/or halibut frames (bones).
You can employ the "sweating" method with any fish you use to make a chowder — simply substitute the same amount of heads and bones. Keep in mind, however, that while the heads and bones of salmon, bluefish, and other species of oily fish make a stock that is right for their own chowders, its flavor is too pronounced to be suitable in other chowders or soups.
For equipment, you will need a 7- to 8-quart heavy stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, a wooden spoon, a ladle, and a fine-mesh strainer.

50 Chowders: One Pot Meals — Clam, Corn & Beyond
This recipe uses a technique called "sweating" to extract maximum flavor from every ingredient. Although sweating adds a step, this stock is still effortless to make and takes only five minutes longer to cook than the Traditional Fish Stock.
I begin by sautéing a very thinly sliced mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots) with herbs and peppercorns. I then layer fish heads and frames (bones) on top of these vegetables, add a little white wine, and cover the pot. As the heads and bones "sweat" (and steam), the proteins are drawn out. If you peek, you will actually see little white droplets of flavorful protein coagulating on the surface of the bones. After the sweating is completed (about 15 minutes), I cover the bones with water and simmer them briefly. I let the mixture steep for 10 minutes before straining it, producing a stock that is full-flavored and gelatinous. The fish heads are what endow this stock with its marvelous jellied consistency, which in turn gives a luscious mouth feel to the chowder broth.