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This homemade seafood stock is made with leftover shrimp shells, is an easy way to use shrimp or prawn roe, and is the perfect way to boost the flavor of seafood stews and soups.
I’ve been cleaning out my freezer. I know that’s not very exciting, but hear me out.
In the back corner of my freezer there’s a bag. A bag full of seafood gold.
I’m talking about shellfish shells, in case that wasn’t clear.
Each time we eat shellfish, whether it’s crab, shrimp, or lobster, I save the shells, freeze them, and then make large batches of seafood stock.
If you follow along with my Instagram stories, you’ve probably seen me making seafood stock a lot lately!
Recently, though, our monthly Sitka Salmon Shares delivery included spot prawns with roe. So Much Roe.
Read up on how to peel spot prawns the easiest way, with or without roe!
Because we had lots of shrimp roe on hand, I wanted to share a seafood stock recipe that’s more specifically for shrimp. Because shrimp or prawn roe is a fabulous addition to your seafood stock.
No worries though, you can also make this shrimp stock without any roe!
This easy shrimp stock recipe is the perfect way to use leftover shrimp shells to make flavorful shellfish stock.
Want some shrimp recipes so that you can make this stock? Try these: seafood boil for two, shrimp Fra Diavolo, blackened shrimp and grits, kimchi shrimp soup, blackened shrimp bowl, or butter garlic shrimp.
How Many Shrimp Shells Do I Need?
You’ll want to save the shells from about one pound of shrimp. The amount is approximate, so a little more or a little less is totally fine.
Simply add the shells to a freezer bag and freeze until you’re ready to make stock.
How Do I Save Shrimp or Prawn Roe For the Stock?
If you’ve got shrimp or prawn roe, you’ll want to either use it right away or freeze it.
You can either freeze the roe right along with the shells or in a separate bag. Either is fine.
Love homemade stock and broth? Try making vegetable broth and mushroom broth too!
Can I Make Bigger Batches of Shrimp Stock?
Yes, absolutely.
This recipe makes about one quart (four cups) of stock, but I often double or triple the recipe.
Will My Kitchen Smell Like Shrimp?
Yes. Absolutely. 100%.
I recommend turning on the fan over your oven or opening the window if it’s a nice day.
But it’s worth it!
How to Make Shrimp Stock
Start with soup basics: onion, celery and carrots.
Roughly dice the veggies and add them to a large stockpot along with the shrimp shells.
If you’re using roe and it’s frozen to the shells, add it now. Otherwise add it in a few minutes along with the water.
Cook them in the stockpot for a few minutes, then add garlic.
Cover the pan and let the veggies cook covered for about ten minutes.
Add water, a little tomato paste or tomato sauce, white wine, salt and rosemary.
Bring it all to a simmer, and then continue simmering for an hour.
Finally, strain out all of the solids.
You’ll be left with some fabulous seafood broth that you can use in your favorite seafood soup or risottos. I like it in shrimp risotto, clam chowder and seafood pot pie!
How to Preserve Stock
You can use it immediately, refrigerate it for a few days or freeze it.
I almost always freeze mine for later.
You can use a freezer bag or portion the stock into jars.
Shrimp Stock
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, unpeeled and diced
- 1 pound shrimp or prawn shells, amount approximate Weight refers to the seafood's weight before the shells were removed.
- 2 carrots, unpeeled and roughly diced
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic, unpeeled, roughly chopped
- shrimp or prawn roe (optional, amount variable) See recipe notes
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ⅓ cup tomato paste OR ½ cup tomato sauce
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and shrimp shells for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover pan, and cook 10 minutes.Tip: If you've preserved shrimp roe in the freezer and the roe is stuck to your shrimp shells, add the roe at the same time you add the shells. Otherwise, add it in the next step.
- Add 6 cups of water and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
- Strain broth through a mesh sieve. Discard the leftover shells and vegetables. You should be left with approximately 1 quart broth. (If you’ve got less than 1 quart, you can add a little water or white wine.)
- Use broth right away, refrigerate and use within 3-4 days, or freeze broth in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
I have frozen shrimp shells from I don’t know how many pounds of shrimp. It’s a gallon sized freezer bag that is almost full. The shells themselves weight about 2.5-3 lbs. How much water should I be using/how many times should I increase this recipe?
Hello! Good question. This is a pretty forgiving recipe! If you have a large stock pot you could double or triple the rest of the ingredients without a problem.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes