Leftover Fish Scraps Are The Perfect Excuse To Make A Flavor-Packed Stock

Whipping up a fully-loaded meal centered around the perfect piece of fish is a rewarding and satisfying experience. Picking out the right fish filet for you is, of course, quintessential to making said dish, but sometimes the right piece of seafood can leave you with a heap of scraps. You may be looking for ways to cut down on food waste, whether it be to save money or to reduce your environmental impact. Thankfully, there's a wonderful way you can use up your fish scraps that both eliminates waste and gives you another delicious dish.

You may have heard of how to avoid waste when cooking lobster by turning the shells, which would otherwise be thrown away, into an indulgent stock. The same idea can apply when it comes to fish scraps. You can take all those bones, little scraps of meat, and even the fish head(s) and boil them down into a stock that's absolutely packed with fishy flavor. This way, you can ensure you're using every part of the fish, and it will also give you a handy stock for other culinary uses.

While you can drastically cut down on food waste by repurposing your fish scraps for a stock, it should be noted that you can't simply throw every last bit in and call it a day. The prep work you have to do is fairly light, but doing it will make the difference between a great multipurpose stock and one that's just passable.

First off, you want to make sure that you're rinsing any and all the slime and gunk off the bones. You should also be meticulous with cleaning off the head of the fish. Second, and perhaps most importantly, it's crucial that you cut any of the fish's gills out, as these will only tarnish your final stock. Fish gills still contain blood, which can taint the color and flavor of your stock. Besides these points though, a fish stock is fairly low-maintenance and can come together in as little as 45 minutes. It also plays well with an assortment of veggies and herbs, with onions, celery, carrots, thyme, and parsley being tried-and-true options.

So you've made your fish stock and reduced your food waste. Great! But what utilitarian purpose does this newly-made fish stock serve? Naturally, you can use this stock in subsequent seafood dishes — preferably ones that use the same kind of fish that's in your stock. For example, a rich, oily salmon stock is a perfect base for your next salmon chowder or even for a creamy lohikeitto, while other chowders featuring clams or crab are better-served with a shellfish-based stock. Fish stock also works wonders in more complex dishes, such as paella and risotto, where it bolsters the other flavors present.

The good thing for you is that, as far as fish stock is concerned, you can afford to be as patient as you please. Fish stock stores incredibly well, and you can simply portion it out into containers and toss it into the freezer for future use. You can expect your fish stock to keep in your freezer for up to two months, so you have plenty of time to whip up an assortment of beautiful dishes.