Seafood Stock

Dutch oven with a wooden spoon, seafood shells, and aromatics.

4 from 1 vote

This delicious 30-minute homemade seafood stock recipe is made with crab shells or shrimp shells and is the perfect base for seafood soups and stews. Plus, I've included tons of tips and tricks on how to purchase and make the stock.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Servings: cups

Calories: 134kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Equipment

Fine mesh sieve or strainer for straining the stock

Ingredients

8 ounces crab shells or shrimp shells** or fish bones or lobster shells | see notes section for more details
1 small onion
1 small carrot
1 small fennel bulb or the stalks from a fennel bulb
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine optional
½ cup fresh dill or fresh flat-leaf parsley | stems included
1 cup clam juice
4 cups water
Salt optional

Instructions

Prep:

Prepare the shells: Use seafood or kitchen shears to cut any large seafood shells into 2-inch pieces.
Note: Alternatively, place the shells in a sealed bag and pound them with a meat mallet.
Prepare the vegetables: Cut 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, and 1 small fennel bulb into 2-inch pieces (leaving the peels intact). Smash 4 cloves garlic (leaving the peels intact).

Make the stock:

Saute the aromatics: To a large dutch oven or stock pot set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
Once hot, add the onion, carrot, fennel, garlic, ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and seafood shells.
Saute for 2 - 3 minutes until the vegetables turn golden-brown and the shells toast slightly (for example, the shrimp shells will turn pink when toasted).
If using wine: If using wine, add ½ cup dry white wine first, then bring to a boil and allow it to reduce by half, about 3 - 5 minutes.
Once the alcohol smell has dissipated, add ½ cup fresh dill, 1 cup clam juice, and 4 cups water and bring to a gentle simmer.
Skim off any scum on the surface, then continue simmering for 20 - 30 minutes until the liquid darkens significantly to a deep golden-brown color and the stock tastes aromatic.
Note: Avoid boiling the seafood stock after adding the water and clam juice as boiling can cause cloudiness.

Strain the stock:

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. You should have just about 4 cups of stock.
Season to taste with salt if desired.

Notes

** Selecting Seafood: I like using a combination of shrimp and crab shells for this stock! 1 pound of unpeeled shrimp yielded about 3 ounces of shells for me. 9 ounces of shell-on, cooked crab yielded about 6 ounces of crab shells.

For a Deeper Flavor: Pre-roast the vegetables and shells for 10-15 minutes at 425°F/218°C. After sauteeing the aromatics in olive oil, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and saute for a couple of minutes until the paste caramelizes slightly.

For a Lighter Flavor: Omit the vegetables and simmer just the seafood shells with the water and clam juice.

Storage Instructions: Homemade seafood stock lasts 3 - 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight ziploc freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Looking for more individual portions? Freeze the stock in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and store in an airtight ziploc bag.

Nutrition