fish stock and used later.
Fish stocks, or fumets (from the French for
“aroma”), are also generally prepared in an
hour or less, since longer simmering of fragile
fish bones can dissolve calcium salts that then
cloud the liquid and give it a chalky taste.
Stocks are made with fish bones, skins,
trimmings, and heads, which are an especially
rich source of gelatin and flavor. (Gills are
omitted because their flavor deteriorates
quickly.) The higher the proportion of fish,
the more flavorful the stock; equal weights of
water and fish work well (e.g. 2 lb/1 kg per
quart/liter). The pot is left uncovered to
prevent accidental boiling and clouding, and
to allow slow evaporation and concentration.
To make a clear consommé, the resulting
strained stock can be clarified with a whipped
mixture of egg whites and pureed raw fish,
whose massed proteins trap the tiny protein
particles that cloud the liquid (p. 601) into a
solid, easily removed mass.
barry
(Barry)
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