Making Fish Stock - help please

firemansgirl, Nov 11, 12:21am
Okay so I have just cooked a fresh crayfish in salted water and was wondering whether I could use the water as the base for a fish stock! I added about 2 big teaspoons of salt to a huge pot of water; I have maybe 5 litres of liquid left.

knowsley, Nov 11, 12:30am
Have you tried tasting it! If it tastes "fishy" and not too salty, there wouldn't be any reason you couldn't use it (depending on the dish). Just remember it had been salted when you use it.

firemansgirl, Nov 11, 12:42am
It does taste salty although not overly so. Not like sea water :-) I think it just smells way stronger than I thought it would. I will give it a go. Thanks for the reply.

davidt4, Nov 11, 3:53am
It's probably best to use the cooking water in something like a paella or a risotto, where it doesn't get reduced too much.If you reduce it to make a sauce it might be too salty.

beaker59, Nov 11, 2:06pm
I would think cooking water from a whole cray wouldn't be much good as a stock though I have made stock from cray bodies before but give them a chop up first to open up a bit makes awesome soup mmmmmmmmmm

uli, Nov 12, 1:19am
I cook all fish leftovers (heads tails etc) with herbs, carrot, celery etc, sieve and then use that as a base for fish soup.

For the soup I fry onions, add some garlic, chopped tomatoes, pieces of fish, crab, mussels, shrimp or prawns (the wild caught ones), season with salt pepper or chilli and some wine.

Whatever stock is left over goes into the freezer and awaits the next lot of heads and tails :)

aglarana, Nov 12, 1:20am
Also.if you are going to freeze the stock make sure you label it so you don't accidentally give it to someone with a shellfood allergy.

uli, Nov 12, 1:26am
Since I do not know anyone with a "shellfood" allergy I only label it so I donot dump it into a stew thinking it is beef stock LOL !