Making fish stock with freshwater fish

[Ufimizm]

A friend asked me this weekend if I have ever made fish stock with freshwater fish. I am located in rural WI and do fish quite a bit. I honestly can say I never thought of it before, and have never heard of anyone doing it. A search around the web brought up more information on stocking fish than making stock out of them. We don't see whole ocean fish around here, so there is no supply of scrap for them. So I have never made fish stock before.

Has anyone ever made a fish stock out of fish like Walleye, Panfish (bluegill, sunfish, perch, etc...), Northern Pike? What about using something like smaller channel catfish?

I have asked other people who both cook and fish a lot, and none of them have ever done this or thought about it.

I don't ice fish, so my supply of bones is nonexistent until open water starts, but I figured I would ask ahead of time to see what peoples thoughts on this may be

[ChrisTaylor]

So long as you're still using non-oily fish I can't foresee a problem. Thinking about the (lack of) salt?

[piracer]

i would say more of the muddiness that is associated with fresh water fish. though if you clean them well theres no reason why you couldn't. Roasting the bones and adding wine would probably do the trick.

[budrichard]

I have liver in Wisconsin and fished here for over 40 years, never done that and never heard of anyone doing that. Have poached trout with a little white wine a herbs but would not consider that a fish stock and suitable for anything.-Dick

[Chris Hennes]

Growing up in Minnesota, I'm not sure anyone I knew knew that there was such a thing as fish stock, let alone had attempted to make it. I don't think that is because the local fish are unsuitable.

[boondocker]

We get a pretty steady supply of fresh whitefish and herring depending on the season where I work in Minnesota. Never once considered it to be honest, I don't think it would taste pleasant.

[nickrey]

There is a reason why river fish are cooked in herbs and other ingredients: It is to hide the taste. Personally, I always find river fish muddy on the palate. This is not pleasant and concentrating it would compound the effect. Use chicken stock.

[Mjx]

There is a reason why river fish are cooked in herbs and other ingredients: It is to hide the taste. Personally, I always find river fish muddy on the palate. This is not pleasant and concentrating it would compound the effect. Use chicken stock.

This doesn't mesh with my experience at all; I've eaten fish (mostly trout, and some perch) caught directly from the river, and they've always tasted clean and fantastic. I've never quite seen the point of court bouillon, but these fish would probably make fine versions of it, for... whatever it's used for.

[nickrey]

There is a reason why river fish are cooked in herbs and other ingredients: It is to hide the taste. Personally, I always find river fish muddy on the palate. This is not pleasant and concentrating it would compound the effect. Use chicken stock.

This doesn't mesh with my experience at all; I've eaten fish (mostly trout, and some perch) caught directly from the river, and they've always tasted clean and fantastic. I've never quite seen the point of court bouillon, but these fish would probably make fine versions of it, for... whatever it's used for.

You were probably not brought up on ocean fish like me. Seems like most others had different experiences to you as well.

[Mjx]

There is a reason why river fish are cooked in herbs and other ingredients: It is to hide the taste. Personally, I always find river fish muddy on the palate. This is not pleasant and concentrating it would compound the effect. Use chicken stock.

This doesn't mesh with my experience at all; I've eaten fish (mostly trout, and some perch) caught directly from the river, and they've always tasted clean and fantastic. I've never quite seen the point of court bouillon, but these fish would probably make fine versions of it, for... whatever it's used for.

You were probably not brought up on ocean fish like me. Seems like most others had different experiences to you as well.

Would the character of the stream bed affect the flavour of the fish living in it? The fish I had came from a (mostly swiftly flowing) stream/river that was rocky/pebbly over the length of most of its bed.

[weinoo]

This doesn't mesh with my experience at all; I've eaten fish (mostly trout, and some perch) caught directly from the river, and they've always tasted clean and fantastic. I've never quite seen the point of court bouillon, but these fish would probably make fine versions of it, for... whatever it's used for.

I think court bouillon is used to poach fish, but not made from fish.

[Mjx]

This doesn't mesh with my experience at all; I've eaten fish (mostly trout, and some perch) caught directly from the river, and they've always tasted clean and fantastic. I've never quite seen the point of court bouillon, but these fish would probably make fine versions of it, for... whatever it's used for.

I think court bouillon is used to poach fish, but not made from fish.

Hm. For whatever reason, I just assumed it was made from fish/seafood, too.

[Alcuin]

When I lived on the east coast, we ate fish of all kinds. I fished a lot, mainly for sport but we would sometimes take home trout and striped bass both of which are excellent to eat. One of the best things to eat is trout, caught just hours before then cooked over a camp fire with a dab of butter and some salt. I've had muddy tasting fish too, but we learned pretty quickly where not to fish. I find off-tasting fish repulsive, so I don't think my palate is confused from lack of ocean fish. Besides, I ate and eat ocean fish all the time (mainly mackeral these days and sometimes if I'm in the mood and I have the money more expensive fish like halibut, striped bass, cod etc). I also eat as much walleye as I can and see no difference in quality.

I don't see why you couldn't make stock from freshwater fish. Next time you have some bone racks left over after filleting some walleye or northerns, why not just give it a shot? There's nothing to lose really, since you're going to throw the stuff away anyway. If it's no good, you're just throwing it out later rather than earlier.

[Paul Bacino]

I don't see why you couldn't make stock from freshwater fish. Next time you have some bone racks left over after filleting some walleye or northerns, why not just give it a shot? There's nothing to lose really, since you're going to throw the stuff away anyway. If it's no good, you're just throwing it out later rather than earlier.

This sounds good to me, what my problem with some fresh water fish is Mossyness. I think if you would select the correct species and now its habitat, u'll be ok. I.e I dont think you would use bottom feeders, bass, bluegill, crappie can be a problem ( mossy ). But that depends on the season, fresh early spring season, panies are killer.

[chileheadmike]

A friend and I caught over a hundred crappie in one day. Best fishing day I've ever had. Seemed we hooked one on every cast. Just unbelievable. Took forever to filet them. I made stock from the heads and bones. It was OK I guess. I didn't roast the bones, I just simmered them with some onion and celery for a couple of hours. It didn't really have a lot of flavor and I ended up not using it.

The fish was terrific though. Crappie is my favorite fresh water fish.

[BadRabbit]

The "muddiness" of freshwater fish is not the same for all species. Catfish taste especially muddy because they are mostly bottom feeders and therefore eat a lot of mud with their meals. Walleyes eat mostly other fish and to me taste as "clean" as a saltwater fish.

Edited February 15, 2012 by BadRabbit (log)

[heidih]

I just watched a bit of Andrew Zimmern in Hungary. In the Jewish district he visited a restaurant and went through their steps in making gefillte fish. Yes - fresh water fish where the ground fish "dumplings" are cooked in the "stock" made from the fish bones. The result is then served chilled in the jelled stock.