What's Cooking With Dive? Fish Stock

Right! Let's get basic …

Anyone who read yesterday's post will know I have to work right through this weekend as well as get all the shopping, housework, laundry and other chores done.
But that won't stop me cooking.

In fact, as I've got to spend so much time at my computer it is a perfect opportunity to make stock.

You must get sick of me moaning at you about stock.
Well for those of you who say "I don't have time to make stock", here am I on a ludicrously busy weekend where I'll be working twelve hours a day plus doing all the chores and what am I doing at the same time?
Yup … Making stock.
Because stock makes itself. There's bugger all effort involved.

This post should also see those of you who think stock is expensive to make slapped upside the head and those who say "but I don't know how to make it" shown how utterly simple and pain-free it is.
With pictures.

To recap:
Earlier in this series I wrote:
"… I checked out a cookery blog that had been featured on Blogger Dashboard and to my utter horror the woman making risotto (at least she pronounced it right) on the video clip said "I can never be bothered making stock; I use this …" and held up one of those cartons of "bouillon powder" (ingredients: salt, salt, salt, acidity regulator, acid, salt, preservative, e-numbers, flavourings and salt).
I am just glad that none of you were in earshot. Words were shrieked that will never appear on this polite and profanity-free blog.

Let's just get this straight before we go any further:
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOOD HOME-MADE STOCK.
Have that tattooed somewhere you can see it.
Your fishmonger or butcher will give (or if he's mean, sell cheaply) you all the crap you need to make pints of stock for freezing, and making stock is a pleasure far greater than sitting in front of a fucking television going "duuuuur".

If you can't make good fish, meat, veggie and chicken stocks and freeze them for when you need them then fucking learn!"

At least two of you (Hi, Neetzy and Robyn) made delicious stock from leftover Thanksgiving turkey last week (check Neetzy's yummy recipe for "fowl-carcass and black bean soup") and hoorah for you two and any other stock-makers out there.

But for the rest of you, here's how bloody easy it is to make basic fish stock.
Beef, turkey, chicken, veggie, pork, whatever else is much the same except I usually add carrots.

We'll start with a bunch of stuff you've got hanging around anyway and use every day.
Veggies.
For today's stock I'm using a couple of local organic onions, a good head (sorry, I couldn't resist) of that yummy garlic from the French Farmers' Market, a bulb of fennel and three sticks of celery.
Cheap. Delicious.

Chop 'em up. Be rough. Big chunks are great as they'll easily sieve out.

Now normally for fish stock I'll get a load of white fish bones and offcuts and mix them up with crab shells and claws, prawn shells and heads and any miscellaneous shellfish remains I can find but today David knew I'd be after stock stuff so he spoiled me with this.
A turbot.
Woohoo! I LOVE turbot!
Turbot comes under my occasional luxury treats heading. It's pricey but good.
This guy, sans fillets, cost me absolutely nothing.
And what flavour!
So today I'll just be making turbot stock and leaving the rest of the stuff out.
Actually, it's cooling in the kitchen as I write and the flavour is sublime! I can't wait to cook with it.

"Howdy, folks!" says Mister Turbot.
He also says "Remember, when making fish stock always use white fish and never oily fish like salmon or mackerel. You really don't want that kind of mess in your kitchen."

Wise words, Mister Turbot. Now get in that pan!

For a fish like this you need a good chopper (yup, I'm in the mood for double-entendres). Take a firm grip of your chopper and give Mister Turbot a comprehensive seeing-to.
Again, big chunks will do; you just want to chop him up so he'll fit in the pot.

Now … Add in your chopped onions, garlic, fennel, celery and a big handful of wild mushrooms.
Cover the whole shebang with water and whack that heat up nice and high.

With almost three litres of water in there it's going to take a few minutes to bring to the boil so you can wipe everything down and clean up and put the kettle on while you wait.

When it eventually boils, you'll want to turn the heat down, but not too much. We're talking a "vigorous simmer" here.
It should look something like this.

And here comes the fun part, scum fans!

Reach for your scum spoon (you do HAVE a scum spoon, don't you?) and get skimming.
All of those impurities that will make your stock icky will be there waiting for you on the surface. Get rid of 'em.

Skim that scum! A couple of minutes scum-skimming and you'll notice the crap is no longer coming to the surface.

A couple more minutes and the stock starts to clear and looks more like the broth you are after.
This is the point where you should add a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, a handful of flat-leaved parsley and a couple of bayleaves, give it a stir and leave it alone.
It's time to turn down the flame to a low simmer and go and get some work done while the stock gets serious and works its magic.

See? You can do all that in the time it takes to make a cuppa and drink it. You DO have the time to make stock!
In fact I took the opportunity to enjoy a spot of lunch: fresh cockles from David the Fishmonger with vinegar and cracked peppercorns.
Yummy! Especially with the aroma of the stock permeating the room.

Around forty-five to fifty minutes later, you can grab a sieve and start ladling the stock out of the pan. I recommend ladling out as much as you can because trying to tip a full pan of stock is asking for scalded body parts and a REALLY messy kitchen.
I confess to nibbling on the leftover turbot. Mmmmmmm …

Once it's about half empty you can safely pour it (don't forget your oven glove, burns fans).

Today's pan gave me a little over two and a half litres of gorgeous, umami-rich, turbot and wild mushroom stock, which I then cooled quickly by pouring it (about a pint at a time) into a tall jug standing in a bowl of iced water.
When it's cool you can pop a pint in the fridge to cook with later (it will be fine in there for a couple of days, covered with film but I'll be using mine to make seafood risotto for dinner later) and decant the rest into tubs for the freezer (leave expansion room or you're gonna have some cleaning to do).

So … There you have it.
Stock is cheap (your fishmonger and butcher should give you the stuff for nothing like mine do, so all you pay for are a few everyday veggies that you've got in your kitchen anyway).
Plus it takes so little time and effort to actually make (and tastes so fucking good) that any stock-virgins among you now have no more excuses.

Remember, if I ever find bouillon powder or stock cubes in your kitchen I will kill you.
Now go make stock!