How to Make Basic Seafood Stock

Homemade seafood stock is the basis of great Cajun foods such as jambalaya, etouffee, chicken fricassee and gumbo. It is used fresh, or concentrated and frozen. This recipe will make 2 gallons of fresh stock or 1 gallon of concentrated stock.

Things You'll Need

• 6 gumbo crabs
• 1 cup clam juice
• 2 gallon water
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 medium carrot, rough chopped

Instructions

1. Place shrimp heads, shells, and gumbo crabs in large stockpot. Add clam juice and water. Place pot on stove over high heat.

2. Add onions and carrots. You can also add fresh garlic cloves or minced garlic to the broth.

3. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. When stock has simmered for 2 hours, remove from the stove and let stand uncovered for an hour.

5. Strain broth into a large container and allow impurities to float to the top. Skim and refrigerate or freeze.

Tips & Warnings

• To make concentrated seafood stock, boil the strained liquid until the volume has been reduced by half. To make an even richer seafood stock, add lobster shell.

• The frozen stock can act as the basis for homemade soups, seafood stews, or seafood gumbo. Once the stock has cooled, pour it into heavy freezer bags or plastic containers. You can store it for up to 4 months.

• If you are planning a crawfish or crab boil, be sure to reserve some of the shells for the homemade stock.

• Cool broth to room temperature before freezing.

• Do not use fish bones when making a broth.