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RECIPE FOR HOW TO MAKE FISH STOCK
Source:Adapted and modified from 酱汁103道- 陈宽定著 (The Great Sauce by Eddie Chen)
Group A:
1kg fish bones (note 1 & 2)
3 liter cold waterGroup B:
1 yellow onion (about 130g)
1 carrot (about 160g)
1 celery (about 80g)
1 leek (about 100g) – white and light green part only
2 fresh button mushrooms (button)Group C:
3 bay leaves (dry)
2-3 small bunches coriander leaves (note 3)
5g black peppercorns
2 slices ginger (optional)Methods:
- Dice ingredients (B). (note 4)
- Discard any attached gills if any. Wash and rinse fish bones thoroughly as the bloods will draw unfavourable flavour to the stock. Put them in cold water and bring to a boil. Then drain and rinse.
- Place fish bones, ingredients B and C (except coriander leaves) in a large stockpot with cold water. Coriander leaves will be added at the last 15 minutes.
- Bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Skim off any scums that rise to the surface. (note 5 & 6)
- Leave the stock to cool slightly. Strain the stock through a sieve or colander with layers of cheesecloth lined underneath. Store in containers until ready to use.
- The stock can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze up to 3 months. (note 7)
Notes:
- You can use fish head, spine, fins or any parts of the fish carcasses that are available.
- Use non oily white fish such as cod, sole, sea bass or snapper. I used threadfin (马友,ma yau in Cantonese). Avoid oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines etc as highly unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the long cooking process. [Source: Broth is Beautiful]
- Other fresh herbs that can be used are fresh parsley and thyme.
- The vegetables are cut into small pieces so that they can release their flavour to the maximum at the shortest time. To further enhance the flavour, you can cook/ sweat the diced vegetables in group B until tender for about 8-10 minutes before transferring to stockpot at step 3.
- Do not cook the stock longer than the instructed time as the stock will draw slight bitterness and unpleasant fishy taste.
- A gentle simmer is sufficient to extract the maximum flavour from the ingredients and yield a good clear stock. Avoid rapid boil as the stock will turn cloudy and murky.
- Freeze the stock in small portions and thaw as needed. If you freeze the stock in ice cube trays, you can pop them into plastic bags and use as much or as little as you want at any time.
Just made this soup today for my daughter who
is not feeling so well..Very refreshing !!
i added some Enoki mushroom instead of celery.
It is just as Yummy…
Lim So Ngo: Thanks for your kind sharing. Hope your daughter has a speedy recovery! 😉
Hi can you please specify which fish you have used before? Is cod an oily fish? Other oily fish?
Thank you.
Oops sorry only read page 1…just read page 2 when you mentioned which fish you use..thanks! Going to ask my NTUC if they will sell me bones!
Clare: Glad that your doubt is cleared! 🙂
I hardly can find fish carcasses here, and don’t keep them if I have fish since I usually have whole fish served on the dinner table.
But a fish stock should be very good esp when making seafood dishes.
Tigerfish: This fish stock is very beneficial to our health. Do give it a try! 🙂
1kg fishbone? That’s a lot! Can I use fishhead? I remember last time I cook fishhead is milky? Yours is so clear.
Evelyn: I normally bought 2 packets of fish bones from NTUC to make up this amount. Of course, you can use fish head too as mentioned in my recipe. I haven’t tried cooking this stock with fish head. So I’m not sure why your stock is milky. Maybe it could be due to the method you used which is different than mine. Did you fry your fish head? Please share your outcome with me after trying this recipe. 😉
lucky you to find them at NTUC. your soup sounds and look wholesome and healthy.
Noobcook: You can try NTUC as your place too. Thanks for your sweet comment! 😉
So nutritious and awesome! 🙂
Alice: Thanks! 😉
Looks so very healthy. I know I say it everytime but I love your food photography.
The Sudden Cook: Thanks a lot!! You really made my day regardless of how many times you had mentioned it. I really appreciate that! 😉
Beautiful post! Even not a fan of fish soups is likely to convert. Of course, I like fish soups, on its own or as stock.
TasteHongKong: Thanks!! Glad to find a fan of fish soup here. 😉
Oh, how wonderful. Nothing better than home made stocks! Thanks for sharing yours. 🙂
Amy Tong: Yup, you said it all! It’s my pleasure to share. 😉
Looks great and wholesome. Too bad I don’t have excess to fish bones too. I normally buy frozen fish fillets here, living in the Mid-West, USA.
LCOM: Thanks!! Fish bones are not easily found over here too. Maybe chicken stock is a better alternative for you. 😉
This stock must be super delicious. It’s such a beautiful color at the end and very nutritious that I can just enjoy the stock itself. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have to try other stock rather than dashi stock. =P
Nami (JOC): Yes, you’re right! Besides that, it’s quite handy for cooking too. You got to try it fast! 😉
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is absolutely helpful and I can’t wait to try!
Shirley: It’s my pleasure to share!! I can’t wait to see your post too! 😉
wow ! what a great recipe with your simple steps. thank you!
if it does get fishy i may add alittle more ginger..love ginger.
My mom will be proud 🙂
thank you!
Lisa
Cookng Sisters
Lisa: Thanks! Yes, the ginger (and more if you like) will help to get rid off the fish smell. Hope your mom loves it! 😉
i was just thinking about fish stock, thinking about doing a bouillabaisse…wonder if a local grocery store would save me some fish heads and bones??
lovely pictures!
Lannie: Thanks! It’s time to start collecting your heads and bones. 😉
Simple ingredients but it makes a delicious soup 🙂
Selba: Nice to see you again! Thanks!! If you can find fish carcasses, do give this recipe a try! 😉
Lovely fish stock – so clear and I bet the flavour is awesome!
Lee Mei (MCH): Thanks! Yes, you’re absolutely right!
Ooh I’m so inspired now, thanks! And really love your photography too!
Mummy Ed: Thanks for dropping by and your lovely comment! 😉
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Zoe: Thanks for your wonderful support!! Yes, you can omit leek. Leek can also be used to make mushroom soup or for stir-frying. If you wrap them nicely with a layer of kitchen towel followed by cling wrap, they can last for another week. Hope your query is answered. 😉
Hi! Just want to say i love all your recipes. I made this fish stock for my girl the moment you posted online! She loved it so i went on to cook in batches and froze into individual portions. We find it so handy cos we can easily cook a nutritious bowl of porridge, noodles or macaroni soup with it. I got preggy after that, felt nausea and could not eat anything until i started trying other recipes of yours. my boy will turn 8 months old tomorrow! And i just cooked this fish stock for him this evening. He loves it too! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Wendy: Thanks for your wonderful support and kind feedback!! Glad to know that your little boy loves the soup. However, I would like to bring to your attention that my recipes are recommended for kids aged 2.5 years and above. So, if you want to cook them for your little boy, please use them with extra caution and make the necessary adjustments if needed. For fish, you can read more at this post: https://food-4tots.com/2011/08/10/oven-baked-fish-fingers/. 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂 Noted! Yes, I did some modification to your recipe to suit his age. Thanks for the link. I will try that for my girl. Keep the recipes coming! Heehee.. 😉
Wendy: Thanks for your words of encouragement! 😉
Hi I loves your recipes. Is it a must to add ginger? I have never intro ginger to my 9months old boy yet. Is onion sufficient to get rid of the fishy smell?
Corrina: If your little one doesn’t mind the fishy smell, you can omit the ginger. 🙂
Hi, thanks for sharing ur recipe.
I wanted to make this stock but i was thinking if the vegetables used in the stock will make the stock gassy? I am just wondering.. Please advise. Thanks!
Ching Ching: This is a common western method in preparing fish stock. So sorry that I’m not able to advise you about the issue of “gassy” as I’m not a nutritionist. I think it is alright to be consumed by those with normal health. 🙂
Hi, where can I buy cheese cloth here in Singapore? Thanks.
Pauline: I bought mine from a Chinese kitchenware shop in a wet market. Maybe you can try Daiso. 🙂