How To Make Prawn and Fish Stock

There are several ways to make a delicious prawn stock. I love prawn stock because it taste more delicious and rich than other stocks. Actually, the way I consume prawn is different from other, especially from the western-way. I used to eat the whole prawn in a single bite :) Well, many Indonesian people do that. That's true, there is a snack in my country called "rempeyek udang" or prawn super-big chips (because it looks like chips and it's big), and you will find fried-prawns complete with their heads and shells on top of the chips. I'm not sure what is the effect to eat prawn's head and shell for my health, but I feel ok until now. And I try to change the way I consume prawns too, now I shell the prawns before I cook them. I used to cut the prawn's back to clean it and season it with salt a bit and just fried them. The prawn stock is made from prawns' head and shell, so after I change the way I cook them, I can have many prawn stock now.

1. Now the first Prawn Stock, all the ways are from Asian ways.

Choose the very fresh prawns. Sautee the shell and heads in a little oil until smell good and add water to cover and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Check the stock and strain it. You will have a rich flavour of prawn stock. The prawn stock will last for about 3-5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

2. Put all prawns' heads and shell in a large pot with yellow onion chopped, garlic smashed, ginger, water, and simmer it for about 1 hour. After that you may strain the stock.

3. Put 750 grams prawns' heads and Shell in a large pot add 2 liter of water, add 2 cm ginger smashed, and leeks. Bring to a boil over high heat, drain the floating foam and fat. After that turn the heat down and simmer it about 1 hour until the stock smells good. Strain.

4. Bring on oil, fry chopped garlic, ginger and sliced onion, sautee until it smell good. Put the heads and shell of prawns, fry until fragrant, add some Ang Ciu (Chinese wine), pour some water, add sugar, salt and pepper. If you like, add some fish sauce but I think the taste is similar with the prawn itself. So, it is not necessary. Simmer it about 1 hour and a half. Strain after the stock is cold.

1. Clean the fish bones add some lemon juice, add 1 liter water, orange leaves, simmer it until the water is half full. Strain.

2. All types of fish that can be consumed can be made of fish stock, but keep in mind it should be cleaned thoroughly. To create fish stock, you need the head and bones of fish. Put the fish heads and fish bones into a pot of water, add 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 cloves smashed garlic , 1.5 tsp lemon juice, then cook in a small heat, approximately two hours. Clean the dirt on the surface of the stock.

3. Put in a large pot, bones and head of the fish, chopped yellow onion, smashed garlic, smashed ginger, water, simmer about 1.5 hours and strain it after cool.

4. Another way to make fish stock, boil some water in a large pot, add fish's head, bones, or shellfish, simmer it until the water is half full and strain it.

Making some stock is not the same as boiling any bones and take the juice. With the correct method, we will be able to get the juices from the ingredients that we use to produce a delicious stock or broth. The taste of stock that is made from fresh ingredients will be different with the taste of instant stock.

Here are the characteristics of good stock:
1. There is no fishy aroma
To remove the fishy odor, we use ingredients like leeks, celery or carrot skin (that's right, the skin alone)
2. Non fat stock.
3. The color of the stock is clear (not turbid)

Tips:
A. Time to cook the stock is between 1-2 hours of cooking. Do not steal time, because the resulting stock will not be "concentrated" and tasty.

B. If the ingredients you are using have a dirty look (a lot of residual blood, fat, etc.),you may dispose the dirt by boiling into cold water. Once boiling, turn off heat immediately and remove the water. Prepare hot water for broth, put all the ingredients and cook over a medium-low heat.

C. Never use high heat to make stock. What will happen is the marrow and blood will be separated from the bone (if the stock is made from cow bones / chicken), the soup becomes turbid and fishy, parts of the bone will be cooked so the juices trapped and unable to get out. Use slow-cooking technique, medium-low heat.

D. When the bubbles appear, remove and discard.

E. Do not put raw bones into the hot stock.

F. Do not mix the finished stock with water. The risk, the stock will be easily spoiled and, of course, the taste will change.