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Sauces, pastes & condiments · Stocks & broths

Fish stock

Light, quick stock made from white-fish bones and heads, the base for seafood soups, risottos and sauces.

Also called: fish broth, fumet

A kind of stock / broth

14 recipes with it

What it is

Made by simmering bones and heads of lean white fish with onion, celery, herbs and sometimes white wine for only about half an hour; longer cooking makes it bitter. The French fumet is a more concentrated version. Oily fish such as mackerel are not used, as they make it strong and greasy.

How it’s used

  • Bouillabaisse and fish soups
  • Seafood risotto and paella
  • Poaching fish
  • Velouté and other fish sauces
  • Chowders

Characteristics

Taste
Delicate, savoury and briny.
Appearance
Clear, pale and nearly colourless.
When cooked
Sets lightly when cold; turns cloudy and bitter if boiled hard or cooked too long.
Sold as
liquid, powder, frozen
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate and use within a day or two, or freeze. Discard if it smells sour or strongly fishy.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Fish. May contain Celery, Crustaceans — check the label.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains fish; shop stocks may also contain crustaceans or celery.
  • Cool rapidly; fish stock spoils faster than meat stock.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
16 kcal
Protein
2.26 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0.81 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Soup, stock, fish, home-prepared.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Related ingredients

Recipes with fish stock

See all 14

2 more

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