How to make fish stock

As with all stocks there will be an element of 'throw in what you have and don't worry about what you don't have'.  However, if any vegetables are old and a bit dodgy looking then throw them in the bin instead.

The only differences between this and a meat stock are the length of time in the cooking phase, and the absence of a stage removing fat.  Both of which make it much easier in fact.

Ingredients:

Bones, heads, fins etc from fish, free of guts, eyes and gills.  It's fine to mix white with eg salmon or trout.

Possible veg:

Shallots
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Carrot
Leek
Fennel

Slice the above finely so as to release flavour in the short cooking time.

Others:

Parsley stalks
Thyme
Bay leaves
Peppercorns
A little salt
Cloves
Fennel seeds
Star anise
Dried chilli pepper
Allspice

(most probably not all of the above!)

Place all ingredients in a pan and cover with cold water.  Bring up to a simmer carefully with the lid on.  Using a spoon skim off any scum that is formed and throw down the sink.

Put the pan on the lowest heat possible and leave the lid ajar, so that only a few small bubbles come to the surface every few seconds.  Leave like this for 15 minutes only.

Cover the pan with the lid and leave for another five minutes.  I like to do this so the temperature comes down a little and things can settle a bit, which helps things not go cloudy when you pour it out.

Strain into a bowl either through a fine sieve or through a colander lined with a double thickness of muslin.

Boiling hard at this stage to reduce the volume and thus concentrate the flavour can often improve the result of what you are cooking.