How to... make fish stock

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Daniel Pfyl, hospitality management lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, shares some professional techniques to make cooking easier. This week, making fish stock or soup with the bones and trimmings.

In classic French cuisine, only the bones and flesh are used to make stock, but you can also use the heads - in fact in many cultures fish heads are a delicacy.

PICTURE ONE: Cut off the fins and the skin on the edge of the backbone.

PICTURE TWO: Wash the trimmings until the water runs clear. This prevents fishy smells and scum forming as the stock cooks.

PICTURE THREE: Chop the white leaves of a leek, an onion or shallot, a stick of celery and mushroom trimmings.

PICTURE FOUR: Melt a knob of butter in a pot and sweat the vegetables, cooking gently until soft but not coloured.

PICTURE FIVE: Add washed fish trimmings, parsley stalks, a bay leaf, a clove, peppercorns and herbs such as bouquet garni, thyme or dill.

PICTURE SIX: Add about 100ml white wine and water to cover.

PICTURES SEVEN and EIGHT: Cut a cartouche, a circular piece of greaseproof paper a little larger than the pot, and push it down in the pot so it sits on top of the liquid. This prevents excess evaporation and allows you to see it is not boiling fast. Skim foam after 10mins if needed.

PICTURE NINE: Simmer gently for about 20mins, but no more than 30 or the fish bones will break down and make the stock bitter and cloudy.

PICTURE TEN: Line a strainer or sieve with cheesecloth and ladle the stock into it.

Use the stock for sauces or fish soups or stews.

Thanks to Blue Water Products Ltd for supplying the fish.

If you would like to request a particular technique, please let us know. Write to Trick of the trade, Editorial Features, Otago Daily Times, P. O. Box 181, Dunedin, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz [2] with trick of the trade in the subject line.