Lemon Scented Fish Broth

Fish broth can be, well, fishy, yet it’s regarded as the most deeply nourishing of all the stocks. This one, however, infused with a shard of lemon zest, is good enough to stand on it’s own.  Made with a fishmonger’s gift of salmon heads and a tail, it’s clear, fresh, and made in the Instant Pot, it’s ready in half an hour.

Lemon Scented Fish Broth – Just Half an Hour in the Instant Pot

Last Wednesday my fishmonger, Daniele, asked me if I wanted a salmon tail and a couple of heads. Oh, alright, I said. And so I arrived home with the makings of a fish broth. Whilst bone broth happens in our house regularly, I’m not in the habit of making fish stock, so I opened my kitchen bible, The Cooks Companion by Stefanie Alexander, to check the recipe.

So easy, and fish broth doesn’t take as long as bone broth – just 20 minutes in a simmering saucepan, so I set the Instant Pot on High Pressure for half that time. I made a couple of adjustments to Stefanie’s recipe. We avoid nightshades, so I passed on the peppercorns. Instead of a three-quarter cup of dry white wine, I added 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. I used a half leek instead of a whole, and I tossed in a shard of lemon zest at the last minute (that’s why you won’t see it in the photo’s.) By a ‘shard’ of lemon zest, I mean swiping down from the stalk to the tip with a vegetable peeler that’s fine enough to remove the peel without the zest. There’s an image in my Salmon Salad with Fennel and Orange post.

Following Stefanie’s advice, I removed the gills from the fish heads, although I have no idea why she suggests that. I sort of chopped and pulled them away. I rinsed the fish really well, to eliminate all bloody, organy bits, and then popped them into the Instant Pot to sautè for a few minutes in the olive oil, making sure to scrape clean the base of the pot. After the fish, I tossed in all the other ingredients, and continued sautèing for another couple of mintutes. Then, I added water up to the 4 cup mark (just under 3 litres) with a little salt.

I let the Instant Pot release naturally, then drained the broth through a seive.

So pleased! Not only is it clear, but the lemon zest is beautifully infused, resulting in a fresh and clean flavour. Stored in mason jars in the fridge, it’s ready to be used as the base for laksa or steam-sauteing vegetables, but it’s so good that we’ve been simply reheating it as an easy, elegant and warming first course.

This recipe has been shared on Allergy Free Wednesday , the AIP Recipe Roundtable, Gluten Free Fridays and Real Food Fridays.

You might also like Double Dish Pork with Lemon and Sage.

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Lemon Scented Fish Broth

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Rich in Omega 3, this Fish Broth is made with salmon heads and a tail. Infused with lemon zest, it's fresh, clear, and stands alone as an elegant, nourishing and warming first course. If using an Instant Pot, it's ready in half and hour.

Paleomantic: Paleomantic

Recipe type: Soups and Stews

This fits: Paleo, AIP, Whole 30

Serves: 2 litres / quarts

Ingredients

• 3 salmon heads and 1 tail
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• ½ leek, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 stalks parsely
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 generous sprig of thyme
• 1 shard of lemon zest, removed from the lemon with a vegetable peeler (no pith)
• 60mls (4 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar
• 1½ teaspoons coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. Rinse the fish heads and tail well under running water, and remove the fish gills.
2. Heat the Instant Pot using the Sautè function, add the olive oil, and sautè the fish for two minutes.
3. Add the other ingredients, and continue sautèing for another two minutes, scraping clean the bottom of the pot.
4. Add water up to the 3½ litre (9 cup) mark. Close and lock the lid. Turn the steam release to 'sealing'. Using the 'Manual' function, adjust the time to 10 minutes high pressure cooking time.
5. When the time is up, turn the Instant Pot off, and wait for the Float Valve to drop using Natural Pressure Release, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove all the fish and vegetables, and drain the broth through a fine seive.
7. Pour into mason jars, allow to cool with the lids on, and store in the fridge.

3.5.3208