Use this quick and easy fish stock recipe for bouillabaisse, seafood chowder (or any fish soup or stew), shrimp risotto, or simply to poach a piece of salmon. To make it, either store bones from any white fish in your freezer until you have a full pound, or ask the seafood counter at your local market for a mix of bones and heads with the gills removed.
Tips for making fish stock
What’s the difference between fish stock and fish broth?
In technical terms, a stock is made using bones and aromatics, while a broth is made using bones with the meat still attached. Stocks are generally unseasoned, which lands this fish stock recipe sort of in a grey zone since we do add salt to make it tasty just as it is. Commercial products tend to use the terms interchangeably, so we try not to be sticklers.
What kind of bones are best for fish stock?
The best bones for fish stock come from mild, white-fleshed fish. Look for heads and frames (bones + collars) from species like cod, haddock, snapper, bass, monkfish, grouper, or turbot. These produce a clean, sweet, delicate stock that works for chowder, bouillabaisse, and risotto.
Any fish I shouldn’t use?
Avoid oily or strongly flavored fish—salmon, mackerel, bluefish, tuna, and sardines. Their bones make for a heavy, fatty, or overly assertive stock. Always make sure the gills are removed from the heads, since they can add bitterness and off-flavors as the stock simmers.
Can I make this without fish heads?
Fish heads and collars are rich in collagen, which adds body to the stock, but they are certainly not essential. If skipping the heads, increase the weight of the bones you’re using to 1½ pounds.
What can I substitute for the wine?
Wine adds brightness and balance to the stock, but you can achieve similar flavors by combining 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar with enough cold water to equal ½ cup (champagne vinegar works too).
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
About 3 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Spread 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, over bottom of a 2–3-qt. heavy saucepan, then add 1 small onion, thinly sliced, 12 parsley stems, leaves removed and reserved for another use, 1 lb. mixed bones and heads of white-fleshed fish (such as Pacific cod, porgy, striped bass, and/or turbot), gills removed, bones and heads rinsed well, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add ½ cup dry white wine and 3½ cups cold water and bring to a boil. Skim froth from surface, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes.
Step 3
Pour stock through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on solids to expel as much liquid as possible ; discard solids.
Do Ahead: Stock can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.
Editor’s note: This fish stock recipe was originally printed in the January 2006 issue of ‘Gourmet’; it has been updated for style. Head this way for more of our favorite fish dinners →
