Forget about buying shrimp stock! It’s easy and cheaper to make your own at home. Save those heads and shells and turn them into a rich, flavorful stock to use in your favorite recipes.
Meat or seafood stock adds incredible flavor to soups, stews, and sauces. While it might be more convenient to use store-bought, making your own gives you better control of the sodium content to suit your personal taste or dietary preference.
The process is incredibly easy and more economical. Plus, it’s a great way to use vegetable scraps, meat and fish bones, or seafood shells that might otherwise go to waste.
hat you’ll need
- Shrimp heads and shells- If your shrimp shells are not enough to make the stock, put them in a freezer bag or container and freeze until ready to use. Stored properly, they’ll keep for about 3 months.
- Vegetables – mirepoix is the aromatic flavor base made of onions, celery, and carrots. These vegetables are like the holy trinity in stock making.
- Herbs and spices- garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns brighten flavors in this stock recipe. Bundle the herbs together with kitchen twine or put in a spice sachet for easy removal later.
- Water– always start with COLD water to ensure the stock heats slowly and evenly
Recipes to use
Here are a few delicious ways to use this liquid gold!
- Pancit Palabok-the life of this noodle dish depends on top-notch shrimp sauce!
- Ginisang Upo at Hipon– give this vegetable dish a boost of flavor!
- Crab and corn soup– make it extra rich and tasty
How to store
- Store shrimp stock in a container with a tight-fitting and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- You also freeze the stock in ice cube trays for easier storage and thawing. Pour the stock into the ice cube tray and freeze. Once rock solid, pop out the cubes from the tray and transfer to resealable bags or freezer-safe container.
