fish stock

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fish stock

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Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 22 7:54 pm Post subject: fish stock

So I get a text msg and a bag of fish left on the gate again - the village barter/swapsie system working well, and I have spent some of my evening filleting 3 pollock. Given them as pollock is cheap and not what he meant to catch and these are 3 little ones - seem huge to me - bigger than my chopping board....

I'm thinking of making fish stock with the bones and heads. I'm just going to wash the trimmings a bit and bag up and freeze em for another time cos its getting late etc.

but.. any advice? is it worth making stock with pollock? ultimately I fancy a nice tomatoey bouillabaisse type thing. any advice on what to put in and what to leave out - I was going to leave out the skins and maybe cut the gills out

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 22 9:30 pm Post subject:
Yes to leave out skins and gills. I'd freeze what you're going to use for stock and keep it until you've got a decent whack of bones etc. Crustacean debris is good. Don't cook fish bones for too long (half an hourish) or it starts to taste weird. Cooking it down once you've taken the bones out works fine.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 22 8:52 am Post subject:
oh thanks for that - I would have cooked a long time like meat bones, so good to know.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46238
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 22 2:50 pm Post subject:

re timing etc, under half an hour is usually best

mangle the bones and shells mechanically and cook off fast

if you want a clear stock, egg white and muslin are useful
a decent sieve is fine enough for stock for soups or cooking spuds etc

with crab or lobster shells some folk flash them in a hot oven for ten mins or so before adding to the stock pan for about 20 mins

with fish based stocks i only use fishy bits/shelly bits and good water

wine, veg, herbs, spices and salt are best added to the mix at the reducing stage or in the final dish
do not salt until the last moments:wink:

re mechanical, well bashed while raw is good
for some results a decent blender and sieves are useful, bisques spring to mind
it does need a decent blender to smash the "thickening" out of the hot lumps and you might wear out blades etc to do big crab and lobster bits so decent includes replaceable parts

for domestic bash it with a rolling pin or hammer when raw, use something else to thicken it when it is made

much like cooking a fillet, quick is best and applies to how long dead and how long heated

ps if any stock bits are "old" don't bother, even the cat will leave home

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 22 4:23 pm Post subject:
these are super fresh fish - caught earlier that day, the bones etc frozen on that day.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46238
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 22 7:27 pm Post subject:
that will be fine

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