Classic French Fish Stock (Fumet de Poisson)

Name: Classic French Fish Stock (Fumet de Poisson)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 54 min
Total time: 1 h 19 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) white fish bones and heads (sole, flounder, halibut, cod or snapper), gills removed, rinsed, chopped into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces; 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter; 1 large (about 6 oz) (170 g) leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, washed well of grit; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced; 1 large (60 g) celery stalk, thinly sliced; ½ small bulb (75 g) fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional); 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine (such as Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc); 2 quarts (1900 ml) cold water; 8 stems (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley stems, leaves saved for another use; 3 sprigs (3 g) fresh thyme sprigs; 1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf; ½ teaspoon (2 g) white peppercorns; ½ lemon (40 g) lemon, cut into 3 thin slices (seeds removed); fine sea salt, to taste, added at the end, if using (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A clear, delicate fish stock made the French way: white fish bones are sweated with leek and onion, splashed with white wine, then simmered gently for just 25 minutes so the stock stays sweet and clean. It's the base for chowders, sauces, risotto and poached fish.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 54 min
Wait: 45 min
Total: 2 hr 4 min
Makes: About 2 liters (8 cups) of stock

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Ingredients

8 servings

3 lb (1360 g) white fish bones and heads (sole, flounder, halibut, cod or snapper), gills removed, rinsed, chopped into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
1 large (about 6 oz) (170 g) leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, washed well of grit
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 large (60 g) celery stalk, thinly sliced
½ small bulb (75 g) fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine (such as Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc)
2 quarts (1900 ml) cold water
8 stems (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley stems, leaves saved for another use
3 sprigs (3 g) fresh thyme sprigs
1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf
½ teaspoon (2 g) white peppercorns
½ lemon (40 g) lemon, cut into 3 thin slices (seeds removed)
fine sea salt, to taste, added at the end, if using (optional)

Equipment (7)

5–6 quart (5–6 L) heavy-bottomed stockpot
Large bowl for soaking bones
Fine-mesh strainer
Cheesecloth or a clean thin kitchen towel (optional, for extra-clear stock)
Ladle
Large heatproof bowl or pot for straining
Airtight containers or jars for storage

Steps

Before you start

Ask your fishmonger for bones and heads from lean white fish (sole, flounder, turbot, halibut, cod, snapper). Avoid oily fish like salmon, mackerel or bluefish, which make a strong, cloudy stock. Gills must be removed from heads because they turn the stock bitter.
Soak the bones in cold water for 15 minutes and rinse them to remove blood, which can make the stock cloudy and murky.
Use a heavy 5–6 quart (5–6 L) pot. Do not let the stock boil at any point, or it will turn cloudy.
Don't simmer longer than 30 minutes. Fish bones release flavor quickly and go bitter and chalky when cooked longer.
Plan on about 2 hours from start to finish, including 30 minutes of cooling.

1
Soak and rinse bones
- Cut the fish bones and heads into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces with sturdy kitchen shears or a heavy knife.
- Make sure all gills (feathery red tissue under the head flaps) are removed.
- Place the bones in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse under cold running water.
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Ready when: Water runs mostly clear and the bones look pale, with no red blood clots
Tip: Skipping the soak and rinse is the most common cause of murky, off-tasting stock.
2
Prep the vegetables
- After rinsing the bones, slice the leek, onion, celery and fennel (if using) about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
- Wash the sliced leek in a bowl of cold water and lift it out, leaving the grit behind.
- Cut the lemon slices and remove any seeds.
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Ready when: Vegetables are in even thin slices so they release flavor quickly
Tip: Thin slices matter because the stock cooks for only 25 minutes.
3
Sweat the vegetables
- Melt the butter in the stockpot over medium-low heat.
- Add the leek, onion, celery and fennel with a pinch of salt if you like.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes.
- The vegetables should soften and turn translucent without taking on any brown color.
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Ready when: Vegetables are soft, glossy and translucent with no browning
Tip: Browning adds a roasted flavor that overpowers the delicate fish.
4
Sweat the bones
- Add the drained fish bones to the pot and spread them over the vegetables.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, turning the bones once halfway.
- The bones will turn opaque and white and release some juices.
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Ready when: Bones and any flesh look opaque white and the bottom of the pot is moist
Tip: Keep the heat low. You want to steam the bones, not fry them.
5
Add wine and reduce
- Pour in the white wine, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
- Let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sharp alcohol smell fades and the wine has reduced by about half.
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Ready when: Wine has reduced by about half and no longer smells sharply of alcohol
6
Add water and aromatics
- Add the cold water, parsley stems, thyme, bay leaf, white peppercorns and lemon slices.
- The bones should be just covered; add a little more water if they are not.
- Bring slowly over medium heat to a bare simmer, which takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Tiny bubbles break the surface at the edge and a few small wisps of steam rise
Tip: Starting with cold water and heating slowly helps impurities rise to the top where you can remove them.
7
Skim the surface
- As the stock approaches a simmer, grayish foam will collect on top.
- Skim it off with a ladle or large spoon and discard it.
- Continue skimming for 2 to 3 minutes until little new foam appears.
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Ready when: Surface is mostly clear with only a few bubbles and little foam
Tip: Don't stir the stock while skimming, since stirring breaks up the foam and clouds the liquid.
8
Simmer gently
- Reduce the heat to low so only a few bubbles rise to the surface every second.
- Simmer uncovered for exactly 25 minutes.
- Do not stir and do not let it boil.
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Ready when: Stock smells sweet and briny and looks lightly golden-cream; a spoonful tastes of fish and wine, not bitter
Tip: Over 30 minutes the bones can make the stock bitter and chalky.
9
Strain the stock
- Set a fine-mesh strainer (lined with damp cheesecloth for the clearest stock) over a large heatproof bowl.
- Ladle the stock through gently, without pressing on the solids.
- Stop when you reach the sediment at the bottom and discard the solids.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt only if you will use the stock as is.
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Ready when: Stock is pale golden and clear, with a fine haze at most
Tip: Pressing the solids pushes cloudy particles through. Leave the salt out if you plan to reduce the stock later.
10
Cool quickly
- Set the bowl in an ice bath, or divide the stock among shallow containers, and stir occasionally until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Then refrigerate or freeze.
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Ready when: Stock feels cool to the touch and is below 70°F (21°C) before it goes in the fridge
Tip: Don't leave the stock at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Good to know

Tips

Use only lean white fish. Oily fish such as salmon or mackerel make a heavy, fishy stock.
Keep the stock at a bare simmer. A rolling boil emulsifies fats and impurities into the liquid and makes it cloudy.
Season with salt only when you use the stock, so you can control the final dish, especially if you reduce it.
Freeze in 1-cup (240 ml) portions so you can thaw just what a recipe needs.

Make ahead

Make the stock up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reduce it by half after straining if you want a concentrated stock that takes up less freezer space.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerator: up to 3 days in airtight containers. Freezer: up to 3 months in containers with ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace, or frozen in ice cube trays and bagged. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to a gentle simmer before using. Don't boil it. Use within 1 day of thawing.

Substitutions

dry white wine (such as Muscadet or Sauvignon Blanc) → Dry vermouth. Use the same amount. It adds a slightly herbal flavor. For no alcohol, use ½ cup (120 ml) extra water plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
white fish bones and heads (sole, flounder, halibut, cod or snapper) → Shrimp shells (about 8 oz / 225 g) with 2 lb (900 g) fish bones. This makes a richer, sweeter stock. Do not use shells alone, as the flavor is too narrow.
leek → Extra onion. Use ½ more onion (100 g) in place of the leek. The stock will taste slightly less sweet.
fresh thyme sprigs → Dried thyme. Use ¼ teaspoon in place of 3 sprigs.