Making A Fish Broth

A classic fish broth is made by gently simmering fish heads and bones in white wine and water with onions and a bouquet garni. Like other broths, fish broths can be made with uncooked bones for a light-colored and flavored effect, or with bones that are first browned for a richer flavor. Lean non-oily fish such as flatfish, sea bass, striped bass, and snapper make good all-purpose white fish broths for use in sauces, braised fish dishes, and paellas.

For a full-bodied brown fish broth such as the one used for bouillabaisse, brown the bones and vegetables before adding water so that their juices caramelize to give the broth a deep, rich flavor.

A red-wine fish broth is made with the browned bones of an oilier fish, salmon, which has too strong a flavor for a classic broth. This broth is made with red wine instead of water and white wine. Carrots add flavor and sweetness to red-wine fish broth but are rarely used in a classic white fish broth.

A fish broth is made by simmering the bones and heads - called "frames" by professionals - from filleted fish with sliced onions, a bouquet garni, a little white wine, and water. Fish broth should not be simmered for more than 30 minutes, or it will develop too strong a flavor.


Remove any guts from the fish's rib cage (some cooks gut fish before filleting, in which case the frames will not contain any, but it's easier to fillet the fish before gutting and then remove the guts from the frames).

Remove the gills.

Snap the fish's spine in a couple of places by bending it. Soak the fish bones and heads in cold water for a couple of hours. Leave the bowl in the refrigerator - or add ice - and change the water every 30 minutes.

Combine the drained fish heads and bones in a pot with a bouquet garni, sliced onion, and enough water to barely cover. Pour in a small amount of wine. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and use.

Kitchen Tips

Count on about 2 cups of water per pound of bones. The water should just barely cover the bones -- too much liquid will make the broth weak. When making a brown fish stock, you'll need slightly less liquid, because the bones will have fallen apart and will take up less room.

Soak fish bones in cold water to get rid of any traces of blood, which would discolor the stock. Cut out the gills for the same reason.

Snap the backbones in one or two places to break them up before cooking. This releases the gelatin in the bones (gelatin gives the broth body) and makes the bones more compact so that you can use less water. Leaves heads whole; it's almost impossible to break them up, and they'll fall apart as they cook.

Because fish broth cooks for less time than chicken broth, the onions must be cut smaller so they release their flavor; chop or slice them.

Fish broth cooks for much less time than poultry or meat broths -- 20 to 30 minutes is sufficient -- because the bones break down and release their gelatin quickly. Don't cook longer than necessary, or the broth will taste fishy.