Salmon stock is a great base for salmon soup. You can also use this fish stock for paella and risotto or enjoy it as it is. This recipe is a traditional Scandinavian fish broth recipe.
Check out the Finnish Salmon soup recipe! -This makes such a tasty base for it. Enjoy with sweet Archipelago bread, Finnish rye flatbread, or potato flatbread.
When buying a whole salmon or catching one yourself, don't throw away the bones since you get such flavorsome broth that you can use in many dishes.
Salmon broth is fattier than a stock made from white fish. It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish broth makes a nice salty soup to take along for hiking trips. Pour it in a thermos, so it stays warm for hours.
Even though I made this recipe with salmon, you can use any other type of fish to make a Finnish broth. We love to make stocks with perch. Also, burbot makes a delicious stock.
Ingredients
- Salmon head and bones.
- Onion or/and leek
- Carrots
- Mixed root vegetables. For example celeriac and parsnip are flavorsome
- Lemon. This is optional
- Butter
- Fresh dill. Use the stalks and save the leaves for soup.
- Bay leaves
- Allspice
- Black pepper. You can use white pepper instead or combined.
- Salt. This can be replaced with white miso paste
- Water
How to make
- Start by preparing the fish; Remove the gills from the head/heads and rinse your fish head and bones thorougly.
- The easiest way to remove the gills is to take a firm grip around them. Twist and pull your knuckle. Use scissors if needed.
- Peel, rinse and chop your veggies into chunks. Wash your lemon and peel or grate the zest.
- Blanch your veggies and dry spices in butter. You need a big pan to make the stock in.
- Add the fish, lemon zest, and dill stalks (use the leaves for something else). Add the lemon juice also if you want a more lemony flavor.
- Boil/simmer your stock for 20-30 minutes. Remove the foam with a skimmer.
- Strain your broth. You can use it like this or boil it so it reduces a bit, and the flavors intensify.
Don't leave the gills in the fish since you get a bitter taste, and it makes a cloudy stock.
Seasoning and variations
Fish stock is made in many countries, and all have their special seasonings for it.
This recipe has typical Scandinavian spices for fish stock. I like a little more flavorsome broth, so I add a tablespoon of ready green curry paste. -What a mix of flavors, but they go so well together.
To have delicious Thai spices in your broth, you can season it with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, some chili, and basil leaves.
For a more Japanese-style broth like Dashi, use sea kelp to flavor. You can use miso paste instead of salt.
French-style broth (fumet de Poisson) is flavored with thyme, pepper, clove, parsley, onion, celery, and dry white wine. It is used, for example, as a base for the bouillabaisse.
How to use fish stock?
- Soups
- Stews
- Risotto
- Paella
Storing
You can store your stock for 2-3 days in the fridge. Remember to make your broth from fresh bones. You can freeze your stock and store it for up to 3 months. My tip is to pour it into freezer bags and use it to give flavor to different dishes.
Questions
You can serve this broth for your dog. It is filled with omega-3 fatty acids. If you make this for a dog, you should not use salt or pepper in it.
Yes, you can. You need to thaw them first or cook for a longer time.
This depends on where the fish is caught. Nowadays, big fishes in the seas do have mercury, and it is recommended not to eat fish more than 1-2 times a week.
Salmon recipes
- Gravlax-cured salmon
- Creamy salmon soup
- Salmon sandwich cake
- Oven-baked sour cream salmon
- Salmon foil packets on the grill or oven
Salmon broth
Ingredients
- 1 salmon head and bones
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 cup mixed root vegetables; celeriac, parsnip
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 bundle fresh dill
- 5 psc bay leaves
- 5 psc whole allspice peppers
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Remove the gills from the head/heads and rinse your fish head and bones thorougly.
- Peel, rinse and chop your veggies into chunks. Wash your lemon and peel or grate the zest.
- Sautee your veggies and dry spices in butter.
- Add the fish, lemon zest, and dill stalks (use the leaves for something else). Add the lemon juice also if you want a more lemony flavor.
- Boil/simmer your stock for 20-30 minutes. Remove the foam with a skimmer.
- Strain your broth. You can use it like this or boil it s,o it reduces a bit, and the flavors intensify. Then freeze the stock to use for recipes.
Carinjo
I used this recipe since it only required one salmon. The ingredients were basic and did not need a trip to the shops. The idea of using the leftover bits of salmon was great, never would have thought of that. I ended up making a salmon paté with it.
Deane
I have 4 salmon heads. Assuming I do not have to quadruple the ingredients ; the broth will only have a stronger flavor?
Cecilia Hoikka
Yes, you can use more fish than in the recipe!