How to Use Fish Stock

While not quite as well-known as chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, fish stock can pack a punch in a wide variety of recipes. Typically used in seafood-heavy dishes, fish stock can help enhance the flavors a lot more. You can make your fish stock or use pre-made stock in a variety of tasty dishes that you share with your friends and family.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Cook up a tasty fish stew with your stock.^[1]

1. Fish stock is perfect for fish stew, since it will bring out all of the briny flavors. While most recipes call for clam juice, you can substitute fish stock as a base for your stew instead. Mix your favorite fish into the recipe, like halibut, cod, or tilapia to create a delicious stew you can share with both friends and family.^[2]
   
   • Depending on the recipe, you can throw together a great fish stew in less than an hour.
   • For a really simple recipe, simmer some diced tomatoes in your fish stock with some white wine. Add seafood of your choice, simmer some more, and you’re done!^[3]

[Edit]Simmer clams in fish stock for a tasty dish.^[4]

1. Mix some saffron into your fish stock to make it extra flavorful. Use your saffron-infused stock as the base for the recipe. Add some minced garlic, olive oil, onion, or white wine based on your preferences. Cook the clams in this fish stock base, which will give them a delicious, briny flavor. Wait until the clam shells have opened before you serve them.^[5]
   
   
   • You can soften up the garlic, olive oil, and onion first by cooking them over high heat if you’d like.
   • The clams should open after 6 minutes or so.

[Edit]Poach fish in fish stock for extra flavor.^[6]

1. This may seem strange, but fish stock can provide an excellent base for poached fish recipes. Combine fish stock with bay leaves, thyme, coriander, or parsley and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and poach your fish in the aromatic stock until it’s cooked through. If you’d like to jazz up your fish a bit more, pair it with a buttery buerre blanc sauce, which you can drizzle on top.^[7]
   
   
   • You can garnish your fish with some fresh parsley if you’d like.

[Edit]Shake up that clam chowder recipe with fish stock.^[8]

1. Heat some oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced potatoes, leeks, and celery for that classic clam chowder base. Stir for 5 minutes or so, add some dry white wine, and bring it to a boil. Then, add your fish stock and some heavy cream. Cook until the potatoes start falling apart, which should take 50-60 minutes. Add your clams to the pot and cover. Simmer until the clams all pop open.^[9]
   
   • You can poach some fish filets in your chowder for a heartier dish if you’d like.
   • Season with salt, pepper, thyme, hot sauce, or lemon wedges based on your personal preferences.

[Edit]Make a spicy fish soup with your stock.^[10]

1. Cook some onion, garlic, chili powder, and cayenne for 17 minutes or so. Soak some saffron in white wine, tomatoes, and the stock. Add it to your onion as it cooks and bring the stock to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There are a lot of varieties you can try with fish soup, so feel free to get creative.^[11]
   
   
   • If you really want to get fancy, heat some anise liquor in a saucepan, burn off the alcohol, and pour it into your soup right before serving. Be careful. Don’t burn your kitchen down if you do this!
   • If you’re going to make fish soup, don’t use a stock with flat-fish bones as the base. Fish like flounder and sole tend to turn bitter when you cook their stock for more than 20 minutes.

[Edit]Whip up a flavorful seafood risotto using fish stock.^[12]

1. Cook your risotto rice in fish stock to give the dish a delicious base. Add some squid, sea scallops, clams, mussels, or other shellfish to your risotto. There are a ton of ways to spice risotto up, so don’t hesitate to experiment! A little white wine and crushed tomatoes can give your risotto a little Italian flair if you’re in the mood for a heartier dish.^[13]
   
   • You can make your risotto a little creamier by stirring in a little butter when your recipe is almost done. Stirring continuously before stirring will release some of the starches and result in a richer dish.

[Edit]Make a complex lobster bisque with fish stock.^[14]

1. Lobster bisque is typically made with a lobster stock, but fish stock makes a great substitution. It’s also much cheaper! Melt your butter down, add your chopped onions, carrots, and celery, then stir in some tomato paste and garlic. Pour in some dry white wine, and add your fish stock. Finish by stirring in your heavy cream and lobster bits to craft a bisque with a slightly umami finish.^[15]
   
   • If you really want a budget option, substitute the lobster for shrimp, tilapia, or cod. You could even make a crab bisque if you feel like doing something really different!

[Edit]Craft a seafood paella with your stock.^[16]

1. If you’re really ambitious, paella is the perfect dish for fish stock. Heat some onion, saffron, fennel, and spring onions in your fish stock until they start to caramelize. Add tomatoes, paprika, and some tomato paste or puree. Stir in some brandy, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 45-60 minutes.^[17] Cook your rice in the stock alongside your shellfish, shrimp, muscles, and clams.^[18]
   
   • There are tons of options when it comes to seafood paella. Feel free to get creative with your recipe.
   • You can use a 2 to 1 ratio of chicken stock to fish stock for a recipe that’s a little softer on the seafood notes.^[19] Feel free to add chorizo to your dish if you do this!

[Edit]Freeze your fish stock for 4-6 months if you can’t use it now.^[20]

1. If you made too much fish stock, freeze it for later use. Pour your fish stock into an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Label the container or bag with the date and set it in your freezer. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in your fridge. If your fish stock develops an odd odor, flavor, or appearance, toss it out.^[21]
   
   
   • You can store fish stock in the fridge for 3-4 days after making it if you plan on using it soon.

[Edit]Tips

• It’s a myth that you can’t eat mussels, clams, or oysters that won’t open while they cook. These shellfish occasionally don’t open even when they’re cooked through. If you pry a shell open after the others have popped and the meat isn’t jelly-like or stuck to the shell, it’s perfectly safe to eat.^[22]
• Steamed mussels, Maryland crab soup, and stuffed calamari are also great options if you have leftover fish stock.^[23]
• Always wash your seafood thoroughly before cooking it and adding it to your recipes.^[24]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_fish_stew/
2. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_fish_stew/
3. ↑ https://food52.com/recipes/14754-dad-s-favorite-seafood-stew
4. ↑ https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/clams-sailors-way
5. ↑ https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/clams-sailors-way
6. ↑ https://www.winemag.com/recipe/poached-halibut-in-caviar-beurre-blanc-recipe/
7. ↑ https://www.winemag.com/recipe/poached-halibut-in-caviar-beurre-blanc-recipe/
8. ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/clam-cod-chowder
9. ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/clam-cod-chowder
10. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/dining/fish-stock-demystified.html
11. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/dining/fish-stock-demystified.html
12. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/seafood-risotto-risotto-ai-fruitti-di-mare-51112620
13. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/seafood-risotto-risotto-ai-fruitti-di-mare-51112620
14. ↑ https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a24797109/lobster-bisque-recipe/
15. ↑ https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a24797109/lobster-bisque-recipe/
16. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/seafood_paella_on_the_grill/
17. ↑ https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/fish-stock-for-a-perfect-paella/
18. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/seafood_paella_on_the_grill/
19. ↑ https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/seafood-paella
20. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17195
21. ↑ https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/17195
22. ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/10/29/2404364.htm
23. ↑ https://www.thedailymeal.com/best-recipes/fish-stock
24. ↑ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/seafood_paella_on_the_grill/