Shellfish Stock

Summer stock series continues.

Shellfish Stock:

6 C Shellfish shells, from shrimp, crab and/or lobster
4 Q Water
1/2 C White Wine
1 Onion, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Stalk, chopped
2 T Tomato Paste
2 Sprigs of thyme
1 Bay leaf
2 t Salt

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put all the cut up shells in a roasting pan and roast for 10 minutes.  
2.  In a soup pot, add the roasted shells and water.  Heat slowly and do NOT let boil.  For best results, maintain a temperature just below simmer. Do not stir either.  Cook for about 1 hour skimming any scum from the top.
3.  Add wine, onion, carrots, celery, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and salt .  Simmer for another 30 minutes.  Again, do not let boil.
4.  Run through a fine strainer using cheese cloth if needed.

Makes about 3 quarts.

Roasted Vegetable Stock

Sunday Soups is going to do a "summer stock series" and post all different stocks for the next 8 weeks.  This is going to give us a chance to do some filming and post some videos online as well as remind everyone that a homemade stock is always best. 

Roasted Vegetable Stock:

1/4 C Olive Oil
1/8 C Butter
2 Onions, halved
1 Shallot, halved
 1 Leek, halved
1 Clove of Garlic
4 Carrots, peeled and cut in half
16 C Water
3 Celery Stalks, halved
3 Sprigs of Thyme
10 Springs of Parsley
Salt to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Add the onions, shallots, leeks, garlic and carrots to an oven proof pan.  Cover in olive oil and butter.  Roast for 30-45 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, bring a soup pot of water to a boil.  Add the celery stalks, thyme and parsley.  Simmer until the roasted vegetables come out.
3.  Add the roasted vegetables and left over juice in pan to the soup pot.  Cover, bring to a boil and turn down heat.  Simmer for about 2 additional hours. Salt to taste.
4.  Strain and put in containers for later use.

Makes about 4 quarts.

Fisherman's Soup

My love went out fishing and caught some rock fish.  We made this soup with the fresh whole fish.  You can use just about any fish you catch. 

Fisherman's Soup:

2 Whole Rock Fish (about 3-4 pounds)
1 Onion, diced
1 Shallot, diced
2 Cloves of Garlic or 1 Spring Garlic
2 T Fresh Thyme
3 T Fresh Parsley
4 C Water
8 C Fish Stock
3 Potatoes, diced
5 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
4 Tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 T Tomato Paste
Lemon juice, for garnish
Directions:
1.  Bring the fish stock to a boil.  Add whole fish, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1/2 onion, and water. 
2. Bring back to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3.  Strain and pick fish off the bones. Set aside.
4.  Bring strained stock back to a boil and add potatoes.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
5.  Add remaining carrots, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme and parsley.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

6.  Add fish back in and serve.  Salt to taste. 
7.  Add lemon juice for garnish.

Serves 6-8

Tip:  If fresh tomatoes are not in season or you dont have access to them, you can always used canned tomatoes in their place.

Crab and Sweet Corn Soup

Ok, Ok we had left over crab again so I couldn't resist making a crab and corn soup.  Corn is in season and so sweet right now.   You can find it everywhere.

Crab and Sweet Corn Soup:

2 T Ginger root, sliced
8 C Vegetable stock
1 C Crab
4 Fresh Corn husks
2 T Cornstarch
2 T Rice Wine
Salt to taste
Green onions, garnish

Directions:
1.  Boil corn for 10 minutes and cut off the husks.  Put about 3 of 4 husks in a food processor and puree.  Set the remaining corn aside.
2.  In a soup pot, add ginger root to the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3.  Add all the corn to the stock and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4.  Add crab, cornstarch dissolved in the rice wine.   Stir frequently and simmer for about 10 more minutes, until it starts to thicken.
5. Remove ginger root and salt to taste.
6.  Garnish with a few scallions.

Serves 4-6

Tip:  Sweet corn is the best during the Summer to Fall months.  One exception is in Florida, the corn is harvested from Fall to Spring.