Group · Condiments & sauces
Fish stock
Fish stock is a stock made by simmering fish bones and trimmings with aromatics, then straining. It is the base for fish sauces, seafood risottos and soups, where it adds a depth that no vegetable stock can replace.
On nutrition facts, ready to use, it shows 53.6 kcal per 100 g, with 5.1 g of protein, 3.8 g of carbohydrate and 2 g of fat. The point of caution is the salt: 2.36 g per 100 g, typical of pre-packed products in this category.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 54 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 225 kJ |
| Protein | 5,1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 3,8 g |
| Fat | 2 g |
Tips
The stock’s salt ends up in the whole sauce. 2.36 g per 100 g, and a risotto or sauce can absorb several hundred millilitres. It is by far the main source of salt in these dishes: never add more before tasting.
It can be made at home for free. Ask your fishmonger for the bones when you have fillets cut: twenty minutes of simmering with an onion, a carrot and a bouquet garni, and you control the salt entirely.
Twenty minutes, no more. Unlike a meat stock, a fish stock turns bitter if you push it: beyond that point the bones release unpleasant compounds. It is the most common mistake.
It must never boil. Boiling emulsifies impurities and makes the stock cloudy. A gentle simmer, skimmed from time to time, gives a clear liquid.
It freezes as ice cubes. Reduced and then poured into an ice cube tray, it keeps for months and can be measured out by the cube. It is the best answer to the fact that you make a litre and use a glass.
Sources
Average nutrition values per 100 g, given for guidance (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).
