Fish Stock

Fish Stock

10litres

Mirepoix (vegetable usually used for stock)

1 Bunch Celery                                  roughly cut into 2cm cubes

3 Brown Onions                                peeled & roughly cut into 2cm cubes

4 Carrots                                            peeled & roughly cut into 2cm cubes

2 Large Fennel Bulbs                                    roughly chopped into 2cm cubes

2 Garlic Bulbs                                                halved, no need to peel

2 Fresh Bay Leaves

1 Tablespoon White Pepper

 

For the Stock

200gr Butter

½ Cup Pernod

½ Cup Brandy

1 Litre White Wine

4Kg Fish Bones                                  chopped into smaller pieces

10 litres Water

1 bunch Parsley

2 Lemons                                           halved

Method

1. Heat up a large 20 litre pot on high heat.  If you do not have a pot large enough, halve this recipe
2. Once the pot is hot, add the butter to melt and once melted, add the mirepoix
3. Sauté the mirepoix until it is soft.  Control the heat so that it cooks with out colour
4. Deglaze the pan with pernod and brandy.  Burn/cook (take care at this point) the alcohol off and reduce by half.
5. Add the wine and further reduce b half
6. Add the chopped fish bones and stir through, continue to cook for at least 5 minutes
7. Add the water and take to simmer and allow to simmer for 2 hours
8. Skim the scum that floats to the top first for every five minutes then eventually as the stock becomes cleaner, every ten minutes or so
9. Add the parsley and allow to simmer for a further ten minutes

10. Turn the heat off and add the lemons to the stock and allow to sit for about ten minutes

11. Strain through a fine chinois/strainer with a muslin cloth inside to further retain the finer residue out of the stock

[slideshow]

Note:

Mirepoix –      is the vegetable flavours that are put into stocks.  There are many variations to a mirepoix, depending on what stock you are making but generally, the basic ingredients are celery, onion and carrots.  Addition of other ingredients are possible such as fennel in this case.  Used either fresh, roasted or sautéed depending on the outcome intended of the stock whether it brown, white, meat, poultry, fish etc.

Deglaze –       cooking technique used to removed caramelized residue off the surface of the pan to add flavour.  Usually alcohol is used.

Chinois –        a conical strainer used mainly in professional kitchens.  Comes in different grades of fine, medium and coarse.