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Ingredients
- 850 g white-fish frames and heads fresh or properly thawed; cleaned by a fishmonger, gills removed
- 280 g lobster bodies and shells cleaned and prepared for stock
2 tbsp olive oil- ½ large Onions roughly chopped
- ¼ fennel bulb roughly chopped
- 25 g white leek washed carefully and sliced
3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed- 6 saffron threads
- 2 cups ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste- ¾ star anise
- ½ anchovy fillets
- ¾ orange thin strips of zest only; no white pith
1 small thyme sprig
1 bay leaf- 2 parsley stems
water just enough to cover in a snug stockpot
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Equipment
Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Ask a fishmonger to prepare clean white-fish frames and heads with gills removed, and lobster bodies and shells suitable for stock. Keep them refrigerated until cooking. Wash and chop the vegetables, cleaning grit from the leek.
- Warm the oil in a heavy stockpot. Add the onion, fennel, leek and garlic and cook gently until softened. Stir in the saffron, tomato paste, star anise and anchovy and cook briefly without scorching.
- Add the prepared fish frames and lobster shells, tomatoes, orange zest and herbs. Pour in only enough water to cover the ingredients in the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, skimming the surface and stirring carefully if needed to prevent sticking.
- Lift out large solids carefully, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with damp food-grade cheesecloth into a clean heatproof pot. Do not crush, puree or blend the bones and shells. Discard every solid, then filter the liquid again through clean fine cloth if any particles remain.
- Bring the strained broth back to a boil, season with salt, black pepper and cayenne, and use promptly.
- For later use, cool rapidly in shallow containers over an ice bath, stirring the broth with a clean utensil, and refrigerate within 2 hours at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days or freeze promptly. Reheat refrigerated broth to a rolling boil.
Notes
This version makes a strained broth, not a puree of whole fish.
No fixed finished volume is claimed; the pot and water needed to cover affect the yield.
All bones, shells and cooked solids are discarded after straining.
The broth contains fish and shellfish.
