Stock Options

Craving seafood? The next time you make shrimp, don’t throw away those shells. Whenever I cook shrimp, after peeling and cleaning them, I reserve the shells to make shrimp stock.

Depending on how much shrimp you’ve cleaned, the amount of shells of course, will vary. Rinse the shells well and place then in a large stock pot. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the shells by an inch. Bring the water to a rapid boil then reduce the flame to low heat and let simmer covered for one hour. The shells turn pink as they cook, giving you a beautiful blush colored stock. When the stock is done, allow it to cool completely. Strain stock through a sieve, into a plastic container. It can be refrigerated for up to a month, or can be frozen for future use.

Shrimp stock can be used as a base for soups (bisques, chowders and gumbos especially), sauces and gravies that accompany any seafood dish. It can also be used for rice dishes like paella and risotto. The possibilities are endless. The same can be done with fish, using the head, spines and fins, if you are in the habit of buying whole fish. A lean fish like bass or cod are recommended, rather than oily fish like salmon or mackerel.

These are ideal if you want robust homemade flavor added to your dishes, but have limited time. Other stocks like chicken and beef need hours for all the flavors to come together. The likelihood that you will be fabricating entire sides of beef or multiple chicken carcasses at home, are slim to none. Unless you just enjoy the extra work and long hours, buying chicken or beef stock is a better bet.  

I find that the shrimp shells are potent enough in their flavor. However, if you’d like to layer the flavors in your stock, you can add the following:

• 3 lbs. shrimp shells or fish bones
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, cut into thin rounds
• 1 cup dry white wine

Bouquet Garni (garnished bouquet):

• 1 Tbsp black pepper corns
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
• 2 bay leaves

Cut a length of cheese cloth long enough to double it and place the herbs and peppercorns inside. Gather the cloth up into a pouch, and tie it, using cooking twine, leaving a lengthy piece of string. This will make it easy to remove from the pot when the stock is done.

Heat the oil in the stock pot over a medium flame. You only want enough oil to coat the pan. Sweat the ginger, garlic and shallots until they are fragrant and translucent. (do not brown). Add the shrimp shells (or fish bones) and toss until they are coated and begin to perfume the pot. Pour in the wine, and reduce by half. Add the bouquet garni, tying the long piece of string to the handle of your pot for easy removal later. Pour enough water into the pot to cover the shells by one inch. Increase to high heat and bring to a boil. Once the stock is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for an hour. Let cool, then remove the bouquet and strain into containers.

*Tips: if you’re freezing your stock, using an ice tray can be helpful. Fill your ice tray with stock and freeze overnight. When you remove the cubes, place them in a sealable freezer bag. When you want to cook something that requires stock, you can use as little or as many cubes as you need, rather than waiting for a large container to defrost.

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between stock and broth;

Stock is made from the bones (or seafood shells) of an animal.

Broth is made from the meat of an animal.