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Fat-free Shrimp Broth
Cookbook
Lobster and shrimp are alike in that much of their flavor is in their shells and heads. The irony, of course, is that most Americans usually throw the heads out. It’s often hard to find shrimp with heads without ordering them in advance; instead, we’re left to resort to the shells we’ve saved up in the freezer. The flavor in shrimp shells and heads is part of an oily compound that doesn’t dissolve in water the way, say, the juices in a chicken do. So the usual way of making broth—with the customary vegetables and slow cooking—isn’t perfectly suited to making shrimp broth. Here’s an easy way to make a broth that imparts the flavor of shrimp into any dish you include it in.
Yield : 10 cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped coarse
- 1 small bulb fennel, or the stalks of the fennel, chopped coarse
- 1 small carrot, chopped coarse
- 4 quarts shrimp heads and/or shells
- 3 quarts water or chicken broth
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold the soup and add the chopped vegetables. Cook over medium heat until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the shrimp heads and shells and turn the heat to high. Continue cooking over high heat while stirring around the heads and shells until the mixture smells fragrant and everything turns red, about 4 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes and transfer the mixture to a food processor. Chop for about 30 seconds—enough to break the heads and shells up without turning them into a purée. Put the processed mixture in a pot and add the water or broth and the thyme, if using. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 1 hour—don’t let the broth come to a full boil—and skim off any froth and scum that floats to the top of the pot. Strain the broth and reserve the shells and heads for shrimp butter or creamy shrimp broth.
CREAMY SHRIMP BROTH:
This broth uses cream to extract the flavor and color from shrimp shells and heads. Prepare the Fat-free Shrimp Broth as directed, but substitute 3 cups heavy cream for 1 quart of the broth or water.
© 2007 James Peterson
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving
Nutritional information is based on 20 servings.
3 kcal
0 % daily value
0 % daily value
0 % daily value
7 mg
1 mg
0 g
0 g
0 g
0 g
2 mg
3 mg
0 g
0 g
0 % daily value
