By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC
Learning to cook ahead of your immediate needs and keeping a well-stocked pantry and freezer full of items to help you make luxurious meals in a flash, is going to be your best strategy for eating healthy and staying on point with the program.
We use shrimp stock in several recipes here at HQ:
Shrimp stock is very quick to make and oh so amazing when added to an elegant dish. It adds a depth of flavor that you cannot get from a bottle of clam juice, and yes… if you must, clam juice is an alternative.
What I like to do is save the discarded uncooked shrimp shells (of course), freeze them until I have collected enough and then ~ whip up a batch of stock, use what I need and freeze the rest for a future masterpiece!
Generally speaking a fish, shrimp or lobster stock is very similar to any other stock.
- You always use the bones or shells
- Butter, EVOO or organic coconut oil
- Aromatics –
- onion
- celery
- leeks
- carrots (sometimes)
- garlic
- parsley stems
- thyme
- bay leaf
- peppercorns
- white wine
- cold water
That is the ‘general’ set up for a healthy pot of stock and you can alter the recipe to suit your particular taste or needs. You can add more or less of any component that you especially like such as garlic, peppercorns, or cloves. You might also like to add a different acid, alcohol, or spice to suit your recipe and taste. Use your imagination and enjoy the benefits of a healthy bone broth on a regular basis.
Depending on what type of stock you are making:
- You might want to roast your aromatics to deepen the flavor
- You might want to roast the bones
- You might NOT want any color in your stock, such as fish or shrimp
- You might want to clarify the stock and that is another process ~ creating consommé!
- You can fortify the stock with any other stock you have in the fridge or freezer of a similar nature
The keys to remember:
- Always use cold water in your stock pot to cover the bones and aromatics
- Bring your pot up to a boil and then down to a simmer
- Do NOT let the pot / stock boil
- Always skim off the scum from the top as it arises
- With chicken, veal, beef, pork ~ the longer you cook / reduce the stock, the more gelatin you will release from the bones and the better for your body
- FOR THIS RECIPE — Fish and shrimp stock — after pot comes up to boil, take down to simmer and cook 30 minutes only
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