FRENCH FISH STOCK AND SAUCE RECIPE
1 pound white fish bones
4 ounces roughly diced onions
2 ounces roughly diced carrots
1 ounce roughly diced celery
1 small bunch leeks, green top only, 1” lengths
2 ounces fennel fronds 1” lengths
1 small garlic head cut in half
2 quart cold water
1 cup white wine
1 small bouquet garni
- Thoroughly rinse and drain fish bones and reserve.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a gallon pot, add the mirepoix, fennel, leeks, and garlic and sweat for five minutes.
- Add the fish bones roughly cut into pieces and stir gently so that all portions are cooked.
- Add the water and the wine and bring to a simmer (do not boil) then add the bouquet garni and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain the stock through a fine sieve and let it rest for a few hours so that the small particles of fish can settle to the bottom of the vessel and you can ladle or pour off the stock.
- Fish stock can only be kept for a few days unless it is frozen.
You can use clam juice as your fish stock and most supermarkets now have some form of fish/shrimp bouillon. If you wish you can also add a teaspoon or two of Asian fish sauce to fortify you stock.
FISH VELOUTE
A veloute sauce can be either fish, chicken, veal or vegetable and all are made in the same manner. As a mother sauce it can then be embellished with a myriad number of accoutrements, like compound butters, to become a petite sauce.
1 ½ cups fish stock or clam juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
- Bring the stock to simmer and skim any foam that floats on the top.
- Make a 3 minute WHITE ROUX using the flour and butter,
- Remove the roux from the heat and add to the fish stock whisking till incorporated.
- Return the pan to the heat and simmer until thickened
- Remove, re-pot, cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, refrigerate.
