Once you make Lindy's fumet-Fish Stock, you will NEVER return to bottled clam juice.
The story behind - Lindy's Fish Fumet - Fish Stock
I never thought much about fish stock...also known as Fish Fumet. Well, if I did think about it, I would think it would just stink up the house and why bother when all recipes say, clam juice can be substituted? And buying clam juice is so easy. But after a trip to a fish market in Portland, where I purchased a whole halibut, I thought, hey, I paid for the bones so send them too and I'll try my hand at fumet.
Once you go to fumet, you will NEVER return to clam juice.
Making Fish Stock or Fumet is not difficult at all. Mostly it's about sweating the bones and aromatics to get maximum flavor, simmering for a very short period of time, about 15 minutes, on a very gentle slow simmer, and then allowing it to sit for an hour to get all that flavor to fully blend. That's it. Done.
A word of caution, do not use the bones of a very strong-smelling fish such as mackerel or tuna. Trout bones can be used, along with the head. But I think the BEST fish stock comes from halibut.
And it smelled delicious, no stinky house here. Check with your local fishmonger (I get mine at Pike's Place Market) for fish bones and get fumeting...
Lindy's Fish Fumet getting ready to cook
I used this to make Poached Curry Halibut, Lindy's Cioppino, and the best darn Clam Spaghetti ever!
Lindy's Fumet - Fish Stock
Ingredients
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 large shallots thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 1 leek optional thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds fish bones and heads if desired best fishes to use are halibut, snapper, sole, grouper, striped bass, mahi-mahi. Also o.k. cod, haddock, branzino, and sablefish. Make sure they are clean of any blood and gills.
- Salt and white peppercorns
- 1 cup white vermouth I use this as it is always consistent in flavor or dry white wine
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- In a large wide stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over low heat; add the aromatics (onion, shallot, celery, leek) and saute for 5 minutes, allowing them to give up their juices. (That's why the heat needs to be low, so that they sweat, not brown).
- If the fish bones are large, use a knife to break through them (mine came in nice pieces so I didn't need to do this); wash well under cold water then add them to the aromatics; add salt and about 10 - 15 white peppercorns; cover the pot and over low heat, allow the bones and aromatics to continue to sweat, the bones should just be opaque after about 15 minutes. Add the vermouth and water; bring to a simmer; lower the heat so that bubbles are just breaking the surface; simmer for 15 minutes. Do not overcook or the stock will become bitter.
- After 15 minutes, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour.
- Strain pressing to remove all liquid from the solids. Allow to cool uncovered in the refrigerator, or better, place the bowl in an ice bath to cool quickly. Once cool, portion into 1 cup servings in some storage containers and freeze. Will freeze well for 6 months (I put mine in a seal a meal after they are frozen...)
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