| By Zeke (Zeke) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 03:00 am: Edit |
I've been making fish stock for the last two weeks. Once with salmon flesh and filleted red snapper the other with catfish and trout. Both really sucked mainly because I didn't have enough fish for the stock. I do not like using granulated fish cubes for stock but still had to for taste(not my choice). Which fish do you prefer if given the choice. I'm gonna hit up the sushi joint near buy for some fish carcasses if I have to.
| By Sam (Sam) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 04:36 am: Edit |
dear zeke, fish stock should mainly be made from bones of lean white fish (sole, dover sole, brill, turbot, whiting, not salmon or snapper) and try using just the trim, bones & heads, clean/rinse the trim, saute mirepoix, do not brown, add seasonings & trim, let sweat-do not brown, add white wine & cold water to cover, bring to slow boil & skim, skim, skim,,,,no more than 45 minutes tops!,,,strain thru chezcloth/chinois....sam sears,cec - hope this helps...
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 01:38 pm: Edit |
Sam and Zeke,
I know that it's always said that you shouldn't use fatty fish like salmon for fish stock. It's in every book from Escoffier's Cook book to The Joy of Cooking.
I chef at a place where we use a lot of salmon, I bought them whole and deframed them. We also did bouillabaisse every Friday. I started out making the fish stock for the bouillabaisse from halibut frames. I could get them relatively cheap actually for free because the fish monger was throwing them out. After a while they started charging for them and as more and more people wanted them they got more expensive. One week I thought I had enough for the fish stock so I hadn't ordered any an of course when it cam down to it I was shy about half the amount I needed. a little desperate I made up the difference from the salmon frames I had just removed from that days salmon delivery. The finished product had a light slick of orangish fat floating on the top but the flavor was just a delicate as if I had make it with just the halibut frames.
I started use the salmon frames exclusively. Never had a complaint as a matter of fact I got a second place finish in a bouillabaisse contest using salmon stock.
Take it for what it's worth.
| By Sam (Sam) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 03:11 pm: Edit |
dear cheftim, I agree that there are times that salmon can make a great fumet/stock when the finished product calls for that specific flavor & i would assume that a "salmon fumet" would make an excellant bouillabaisse, but my answer was just generic regarding "fish stock/fumet", like you did, I have made salmon fumet to make "salmon aspic" for glazing cold garde manger trays in competitions, it gives it a slight reddish tint, but newbies should be aware that w/ the fat content, the cooking time & temperature needs to be watched all the more, since it can become cloudy & in my experience almost impossible to cleanly clarify, for consumme or aspic preparations, if overcooked in terms of time or temp.....just my thoughts...sam sears, cec
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 03:56 pm: Edit |
You absolutely right about time and temp. One of the bigest mistakes for fish fumet is trying to get out every last bit of flavor from the bones as if doing a beef or veal stock.
The only thing I might add to your instructions Sam, is I will turn off the heat after 30-45 minutes and let the pot stand for an hour. This makes for fuller flavor without any bitterness or clouding the stock.
| By Grwall (Grwall) on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 03:25 pm: Edit |
Classically, white fish bones as Sam and ChefTim said. OTH, if you do a lot of salmon, it makes no sense to me to throw the salmon bones away and buy white fish bones.
Mostly I used fish stock for chowder - pink colour makes no difference there. Even for veloute, the pink is lost in the thickening and a little cream takes care of whatever colour remains.
| By Sam (Sam) on Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - 01:29 am: Edit |
dear chef tim, that is a excellant point & apt procedure...sam
| By Zeke (Zeke) on Wednesday, November 20, 2002 - 02:32 am: Edit |
Hey thanks everyone. I did a chicken, beef, and fish stock today. All came out really well. The Fish stock is really good. I'll be doing reductions tomorrow and demi-glase.