Homemade Shellfish Stock

Fresh, homemade Shellfish Stock makes a big difference in any recipe requiring fish stock. It adds a depth of flavor that is hard to beat compared to store-bough box stock or substituting clam juice.   All it requires are shrimp shells at a minimum plus aromatics. Add lobster and/or crab shells and the flavor is even richer. It is ready from start to finish in 1 1/2 hours. The extra time is worth it!

Homemade Shellfish Stock is perfect for Cioppino, an Italian Fish Soup made for special occasions! It also works beautiful for Lobster Arancini made with Seafood Risotto, Gumbo, Shrimp Bisque and so much more!

Here is the step-by-step recipe guide for Homemade Shellfish Stock:

Prepare/gather the shellfish shells. For this recipe I used 1 1/2 lbs. raw shrimp and two 4-ounce lobster tails. I removed the fish meat to use for my Cioppino recipe.

Bring the shells to a boil in plenty of cold water. Skim any scum off the top and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the aromatics and seasonings. I used carrots, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorn and bay leaf. I also added a key ingredient – once cup of Prosecco wine! Let simmer another 45 minutes

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. I love my cone-shaped strainer. The strained Shellfish Stock is ready to use right away. You may also store it in mason jars in the fridge, or freeze it in ziplock bags for future use.

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Homemade Shellfish Stock

Fresh, homemade Shellfish Stock makes a big difference in any recipe requiring fish stock. It adds a depth of flavor that is hard to beat in Cioppino, Seafood Risotto, Lobster Arancini, Gumbo, Shrimp Bisque and so much more! It is easy to make and only takes about 1 ½ hours. Freeze leftovers for future use.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups shellfish shells (from 1 ½ - 2 lbs. raw shrimp and 2 4-ounce lobster tails)
• 6 - 8 cups cold water
• 1 cup dry white wine Prosecco works well for this
• 1 medium yellow onion quartered
• 1 carrot cut in half
• 2 celery stalks with leaves cut in thirds
• 4 sprigs parsley including stems
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions

1. Place the shells in a stock pot and add cold water to cover the shells at least 1 inch over the top. Bring to boil, skim off scum, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Add wine, onion, carrot, celery, bay, parsley, salt, and peppercorns. Simmer for 45 - 60 minutes.
3. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using a fine-mesh strainer inside a larger pot, strain the stock, pressing down on the shells and vegetables to extract all the flavor, resulting in a clear shellfish stock. It is now ready to use in your recipe or store.
4. Store in mason jars if using within a few days. Or freeze in ziplock bags in freezer.