Fish stock, or fumet, is a fantastic way to begin a variety of soups or sauces containing seafood, such as Cioppino and Bouillabaisse. It’s light and flavorful and makes a great base for risotto. It is very easy to make and simply requires high quality ingredients. We recently made a batch to use in a Cioppino that received rave reviews!
Rinse any blood off your fish bones in cold water for a clearer stock.
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, do not overcook as this may spoil the flavor.
Strain fumet through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible, and allow cooling before storing. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Never use salmon bones for stock, the fish is too oily. You can, usually, easily obtain fish bones for stock from your local fish market.
Don’t miss our recipe for Cioppino.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 pounds bones and trimmings from white fish (snapper, halibut, bass, etc.)
- 10 cups cold water
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced thin
- 3 shallots, slice thin
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 10 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Rinse any blood off your fish bones in cold water for a clearer stock.
- Place all ingredients in a large stockpot.
- Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
- Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, do not overcook as this may spoil the flavor.
- Strain fumet through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible, and allow to cool before storing.
- Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
