Homemade Shrimp Stock

February 19, 2015

One of the many things I strive for in my cooking is to use everything and waste as little as possible. Any vegetable or meat scraps are great in stocks, and the same goes with fish bones and shells to make incredible seafood stocks! So when I had lots of shrimp tails left after removing them from shrimp I was cooking, I decided to make homemade shrimp stock from them. It was really easy to put make!

The shrimp tails form the super flavorful base of the homemade shrimp stock.
The leftover shrimp tails form the super flavorful base of the homemade shrimp stock.
Cooking the shrimp tails brings out the big flavors for this homemade shrimp stock.
In a large saucepan I heated a bit of olive oil over medium high heat. Then I added my reserved shrimp tails to cook them up for a couple of minutes until they became pink. This simple step really brought out their flavor!
The homemade shrimp stock simmering away. It was so quick and easy to put together!
Then I added in chunks of celery to soften with the shrimp tails for a couple of minutes. Once the celery was soft, in went a quart of water, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, black peppercorns and salt. I let that mixture come to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer to cook for an hour. It smelled incredible as it gently bubbled away!
The strained homemade shrimp stock measured out in my big measuring cup.
Once the hour was up, I poured the homemade shrimp stock through a fine mesh strainer right into a heat proof container. Since I wanted to know right away how much I yielded, I just poured it right into my big measuring up and ended up with 2 cups.

The shrimp tails and aromatics had served their delicious purpose, so I discarded them. That was all there was to it to make homemade shrimp stock! The possibilities were endless from there in so many soups, stews and other dishes. This recipe could have easily been doubled if I needed an entire quart, but two cups were enough for the yumminess I had in store. The principle would have stayed the same if I had lobster shells, whole shrimp shells, or fish bones. I used it in my incredible Moroccan surf and turf stew and it just made the dish. There is really nothing like homemade shrimp stock my friends. Enjoy the handy printable!

Homemade Shrimp Stock
Homemade Shrimp Stock
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Homemade Shrimp Stock
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Homemade Shrimp Stock
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 
Servings: 2 cups of stock
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 dash olive oil
  • 20 whole removed shrimp tails the tails removed from 1 pound's worth of fresh shrimp
  • 2 stalks celery trimmed and chopped into chunks
  • 1 quart water
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 pinch salt plus additional as needed to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp tails in the oil until they become pink for about 2 minutes. Add in the celery and allow it to get soft for another minute.
  2. Pour in the water and also add the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a low simmer. Allow the stock to simmer and meld for an hour.
  3. When the hour is up, taste for salt and add more if desired. Then pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer right into a heat proof container so that it is a gorgeous, clear liquid. After that it is ready to use in countless types of dishes! It will keep in the refrigerator sealed up for a few days.

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