Recipe: Shrimp Stock

Were back in our essentials recipes in 2010.  Today’s journey ventures to the Bayou and the deep south.  In the south shrimp is an dining essential and so is a great shrimp stock.  Shrimp stock is used to gumbo, barbecue sauces, and lobster sauces.

My favorite use of shrimp stock is in Cioppino or Zuppa di Pesca – Cioppino is a San Francisco based version on the Zuppa di Pesca Italian classic.  I substitute this stock in the place of fish stock, as i find its easier to make and yields tastier broths.

I live in Utah, and as most Americans we do not live near a coastal water that would provide us with the fresh shrimp caught that day.  And the beauty of this recipe is, it works perfect for those frozen versions, with out the heads.  Peal and eat shrimp are at the heart of this.  When you eat the shrimp do not throw those shells away – store them up in a plastic zip top based bag and freeze them until you have enough to make this stock.

So, you are getting a 2nd yield out of something you used to just throw away.  Talk about cost conscious!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound shrimp shells and/or heads
• 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow / Spanish onion
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 3 garlic cloves, smash with heavy knife and leave whole for easy retrieval
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Method:

1. Rinse your shrimp shells and the heads in a large colander.  Be sure to use cold water.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a large heavy stockpot.  Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring this to a boil over high heat.
3. Skim any foam that comes to the surface from time to time.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Strain this through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.  Allow to cool completely.

In the fridge it will last about 3 days – in the freezer in air tight containers up to 2 months. Yes, this wont last as long as that store stuff – but, it doesn’t have all those chemicals to help to preserve the food, and you. Not everything is better through chemistry. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to come back and tell us how this recipe worked for you! We would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

Tagged as: cioppino, creole, new orleans, Shrimp, south, Stock, zuppa di pesca