Posted by Peggy on December 17, 2009
*If time allows, making your own seafood stock (or purchasing scratch-made stock from a vendor such as Monahan's or Whole Foods) is worth the effort. (See recipe below.) I have made and enjoyed bouillabaisse using bottled clam juice or mixing a seafood base (such as Better than Bouillon) with water for the stock.
Active time (not including stock preparation): 40 minutes
Simmer time: 40 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 4-6
*I used shrimp shells and a chopped monkfish spine (about 3 pounds total). Fish heads are fine for stock. Remove fish gills, and don’t use bones from oily fish, like salmon, as they deliver an off-flavor. Fish stock, unlike chicken or beef stock, only needs an hour to come together.