Good fish stock needed

[emilymarie]

Am making lobster bisque this Thanksgiving per my youngest sister's request. I've got my recipe but now need a source for good quality fish stock. Can I get this at Whole Foods, or is there another, reputable fish purveyor where I can get good stock?

Thanks in advance for help.

[Busboy]

You may want to consider just making the stuff yourself. It's easier and less time-consuming to make than a beef stock, and the ingredients are cheap -- if you get to the Whole Foods fish counter before they throw their bones out.

This recipe looks pretty good, though will yield a lifetime supply of fish stock -- I'd cut it in half, at least, and increase the wine-to-water ration. I seem to recall Keller putting fennel in his version, but I don't have the recipe in front of me.

Otherwise, I don't know if I've ever seen fish stock for sale.

[lano]

i would check with Caldwell Seafood market. Typicall, I've found seafood markets to have fish/lobster stock.

390 Bloomfield Ave.

Caldwell, NJ 07006

Tel: 973-226-2031

Incidentally, I bought a nice sushi grade tuna there for about $17 per pound recently, which was quite good. Selection of fish seemed small relative to a few places in NYC I've been to, however, freshness seemed impeccable.

[rlibkind]

I agree, do it yourself, though I find the recipe Busboy posts has way many more ingredients than necessary. Fish bones (and heads, but gill-less), a very little salt, maybe a bay leaf. An onion, a carrot and a rib of celery if you want, but not necessary. Simmer gently, skimming as necessary. It only takes about half an hour of simmering to extract all possible flavor. When done, strain (I use cheesecloth).. Avoid oily fish like salmon, mackeral, etc. Stick with non-oily white fleshed fish, flatfish, cod and cousins, snappers, sea bass, etc.

Compared to what's necessary to create a lobster bisque, the making of a fresh fish stock is a snap.

[haunted_chef]

Hey, you need to pick up Tony Bordains new cookbook "Les Halles" It will tell you how to make a quick and simple Fumet at home....its a breeze trust me!!!!!

John

[Busboy]

I agree, do it yourself, though I find the recipe Busboy posts has way many more ingredients than necessary. Fish bones (and heads, but gill-less), a very little salt, maybe a bay leaf. An onion, a carrot and a rib of celery if you want, but not necessary. Simmer gently, skimming as necessary. It only takes about half an hour of simmering to extract all possible flavor. When done, strain (I use cheesecloth).. Avoid oily fish like salmon, mackeral, etc. Stick with non-oily white fleshed fish, flatfish, cod and cousins, snappers, sea bass, etc.

Compared to what's necessary to create a lobster bisque, the making of a fresh fish stock is a snap.

←

Probably right that that recipe is more complex than necessary, but it was the best I could find with a lazy search. To your stripped down version, though, I'd definitly add white wine, and would be more likely to add fennel than celery, (though I have a strange fascination with fennel.) The bay leaf is key.

The stuff freezes well, though I wouldn't leave it in the fridge for more than a day. Old fish stock is not pretty.

[emilymarie]

The stuff freezes well, though I wouldn't leave it in the fridge for more than a day.  Old fish stock is not pretty.

←

Not pretty, indeed!

I have the French Laundry cookbook at home, which may or may not have fish stock recipe--can't remember. But I'll check out Les Halles and may do some more searching myself. To be honest, I hadn't thought about making my own stock before this morning because I hadn't done any searching for a recipe--or thought much about this bisque at all until this morning. I think I'd like to make it all from scratch, if I can get me hands on some bones!

[emilymarie]

Yes, I'm going to attempt the fumet and yes I think I will do a fine job at it. But, let's just say that I screw the whole thing up. Are there any other fish stores around where anyone's seen fish stock for sale? And thanks for rec. on Caldwell Seafood, by the way.

There was once a seafood story called Lucy's right next to Mountainview NJ Transit train station? Still there, any good?

[rlibkind]

Yes, I'm going to attempt the fumet and yes I think I will do a fine job at it. But, let's just say that I screw the whole thing up. Are there any other fish stores around where anyone's seen fish stock for sale? And thanks for rec. on Caldwell Seafood, by the way.

There was once a seafood story called Lucy's right next to Mountainview NJ Transit train station? Still there, any good?

←

If you screw it up (and you won't - think positively) bottled clam broth can always be used; just reduce the salt in your recipe., assuming the bottled broth is over the top in saline solution.

Busboy: Fennel sounds very nice! Might work very well since the end product she's looking for is a lobster bisque, and lobster and fennel sounds like an Aces combination. As a general rule, though, I like to keep the fish stock simple and add the flavors I want to the finished product.

[Busboy]

Yes, I'm going to attempt the fumet and yes I think I will do a fine job at it. But, let's just say that I screw the whole thing up. Are there any other fish stores around where anyone's seen fish stock for sale? And thanks for rec. on Caldwell Seafood, by the way.

There was once a seafood story called Lucy's right next to Mountainview NJ Transit train station? Still there, any good?

←

If you screw it up (and you won't - think positively) bottled clam broth can always be used; just reduce the salt in your recipe., assuming the bottled broth is over the top in saline solution.

Busboy: Fennel sounds very nice! Might work very well since the end product she's looking for is a lobster bisque, and lobster and fennel sounds like an Aces combination. As a general rule, though, I like to keep the fish stock simple and add the flavors I want to the finished product.

←

Well, I just went through a bunch of cookbooks -- including Kellers TFLC, which has no fish stock recipe at all-- and can't find a single recipe for fish stock with fennel, so I may be ahllunicating. Or maybe I just a creative moment.

As an aside, at the DCeG dinner last night at Restaurant Eve, many of us had a lobster creme brulee, with steamed lobster and fennel on the side, the fennel ebing doctored up with a little sugar and, I believe, vanilla. You are correct, it is a fine combination.

[Phil Ward]

Also, Shrimp shells make a very nice basic stock and most fish mongers have plenty of them to give away. Basic ingredients/recipe: chopped onion, celery carrot, garlic, herbs of your choice (parsley and thyme are classic) (I tend to stay away from Bay leaf), white wine, lots of shrimp shells, water; bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes, strain and reduce.

Phil

Edited November 18, 2004 by Phil Ward (log)

[emilymarie]

I checked my french laundry cookbook when I got home last night--and you're right, no fish stock. But he did have a lobster stock recipe. Do you think lobster stock for lobster bisque would be too much lobster? would it be too overpowering? And that lobster creme brulee sounds just divine!

[Busboy]

I checked my french laundry cookbook when I got home last night--and you're right, no fish stock. But he did have a lobster stock recipe. Do you think lobster stock for lobster bisque would be too much lobster? would it be too overpowering? And that lobster creme brulee sounds just divine!

←

Too much lobster? That's like too much garlic or too much good red wine: theoretically possible in laboratory conditions, but extremely unlikeley under normal conditions.

I have never made bisque, but I always thought a lobster stock was at the heart of it - that it was a way of turning lobster shells and a relatively small amount of meat into something very tasty. Expensive and inconveniet if you don't have extra shells lying around -- guess you'll have to steam up a couple this weekend, but I'm sure you can sacrifice for your family .

You might google around and see what turns up, but I'd go for it.

[emilymarie]

Too much lobster?  That's like too much garlic or too much good red wine: theoretically possible in laboratory conditions, but extremely unlikeley under normal conditions. 

←

You're right, what in the hell was I thinking? Crazy talk.

I have a recipe from epicurious that looks good, standard. It calls for cooking the whole lobsters first and then removing the meat and taking their shells and cooking those with aromatics, some of the reserved lobster cooking liquid and then fish stock. It says you can use bottled clam juice (which has been suggested here) or fish stock. But I think lobster stock would be good, if not better than fish stock. Will tweak recipe by adding fennel to the lobster stock.

Now who can get me lobster on the cheap??