Fish Fume - Great Chefs

A good fish fumet is the foundation of serious seafood cooking. This recipe from the Great Chefs series builds a concentrated fish stock from bones, white wine, aromatics, and a classic bouquet garni in about 30 minutes.

Sole bones give the cleanest, most neutral stock. Mixing in salmon bones adds a richer, slightly oilier character. Either way works, but avoid strong-flavored fish like mackerel or bluefish. Their oils turn the stock murky and fishy in the worst way.

The bones cook gently in butter with onion and carrot, but never brown. Browning fish bones creates bitter, off flavors that no amount of straining will fix. You want the meat to simply fall away from the bones, releasing its gelatin and flavor into the liquid.

White wine and chicken stock (or water) go in with the bouquet garni of parsley, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. A 15-minute boil is enough. Fish stock turns bitter if cooked too long, unlike beef or chicken stock that benefit from hours of simmering. Strain through a fine chinois, then reduce by half to concentrate the flavor.

Chef Tips

• Ask your fishmonger for bones when buying fillets. Most shops give them away or sell them cheaply. Rinse them well under cold water before using.
• Never let the stock boil hard. A gentle simmer extracts flavor cleanly. Hard boiling emulsifies fats and makes the stock cloudy.
• Strain twice for a crystal-clear result. The first pass catches the solids; the second through cheesecloth catches fine particles.
• Freeze the finished fumet in ice cube trays for easy portioning. It keeps frozen for up to three months.

Variations

• Skip the chicken stock and use all water for a purer fish flavor.
• Add a few white peppercorns and a strip of lemon zest to the bouquet garni for brightness.
• Use the fumet as the base for chowder, risotto, or a classic beurre blanc sauce.