Hey there fellow food lovers! As someone who’s spent countless hours in the kitchen experimenting with different ingredients, I gotta tell you – shrimp stock is like liquid gold! I used to feel pretty guilty throwing away those shrimp shells until I discovered how to turn them into this amazing flavor booster. Today I’m gonna share my favorite ways to use shrimp stock that’ll make your dishes taste like they came from a fancy restaurant!
Why Shrimp Stock is a Game-Changer
Before we dive into the recipes, lemme tell you why shrimp stock is so special:
- Takes just 10 minutes to make (way faster than chicken or veggie stock!)
- Adds incredible ocean-fresh flavor to seafood dishes
- Practically free since you’re using shells you’d normally toss
- Keeps for 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer
15 Awesome Ways to Use Your Shrimp Stock
1. Seafood Risotto
This is hands-down my favorite way to use shrimp stock! The stock adds this amazing depth that you just can’t get with regular broth. I love throwing in some shrimp, scallops, and maybe even some mussels if I’m feeling fancy
2. Ultimate Shrimp Scampi
Forget about using white wine – shrimp stock is where it’s at! Just add a bit more lemon juice to balance things out. Trust me, your scampi will never be the same!
3. Flavor-Packed Gumbo
Y’all, nothing beats a good gumbo made with shrimp stock. Add some sausage, veggies, and of course, plenty of shrimp. It’s comfort food at its finest!
4. Rich Seafood Chowder
I make mine by sautéing some aromatics, then adding potatoes, corn, and seafood in the stock. A splash of cream at the end makes it super luxurious.
5. Next-Level Paella
Wanna make paella like they do in Spain? Skip the chicken stock and use shrimp stock instead, The seafood flavors will really pop!
6. Upgraded Pasta Dishes
Here’s a pro tip: cook your pasta in shrimp stock instead of water. Game changer! Perfect for any seafood pasta dish.
7. Bouillabaisse with a Twist
This French fish soup traditionally uses fish stock, but shrimp stock adds this amazing sweet-briny flavor that’s chef’s kiss.
8. Epic Seafood Boil
Nothing beats a good ol’ seafood boil! Use your shrimp stock as the cooking liquid – add potatoes, corn, sausage, and plenty of seafood.
9. Jambalaya
Y’all won’t believe how good jambalaya tastes when made with shrimp stock. It really brings out all those Louisiana flavors!
10. Asian-Style Noodle Soups
Make your own seafood pho or ramen using shrimp stock as the base. So much better than instant!
11. Poached Fish
Poaching fish in shrimp stock keeps it super moist and adds tons of flavor. Works great with mild white fish.
12. Shrimp Fried Rice
Use shrimp stock to cook your rice – it’ll take your fried rice game to the next level!
13. Seafood Sauce Base
Make an amazing pasta sauce by reducing shrimp stock with some wine, cream, and aromatics.
14. Simple Seafood Soup
When I’ve got just a cup of stock left, I make a quick soup with tomatoes, vegetables, and whatever seafood I have on hand.
15. Rice Dishes
Cook your rice in shrimp stock instead of water – perfect for serving with any seafood dish!
Quick Guide to Making Shrimp Stock
Here’s my super simple method:
- Save shells from about 1.5 lbs of shrimp
- Sauté shells in a bit of oil
- Add water and simmer for 30-40 mins
- Strain and use!
Pro tip: I always keep a bag in my freezer for collecting shrimp shells until I have enough to make stock!
Storage Tips
- Fridge: Up to 4 days in an airtight container
- Freezer: Up to 4 months (I like to freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning!)
Remember, making shrimp stock is super easy and takes way less time than other stocks. Don’t throw those shells away – they’re packed with flavor just waiting to be used!
Have you tried making shrimp stock before? What’s your favorite way to use it? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear your ideas!
Happy cooking, friends!
Would you like me to explain or break down any part of this article?
Broth-Centric Seafood Meals that Always Please
Wild-caught spot prawns are incredibly sweet, reminiscent more of lobster than of the shrimp you might typically find at your local fish counter — hence, their reputation as the “lobster of Alaska.”
Since spot prawn season is relatively short, lasting a couple of months, you’ll want to extract every delicious drop of flavor you can from the prawns to use in recipes. That means you ought to make a stock from the spot prawn shells, which is easy to do. Check out our blog post on how to make spot prawn stock.
Once you’ve gotten that made, you can use the stock in practically any recipe where you’d normally use a seafood stock. Keep in mind that since spot prawns are so flavorful, they don’t need much culinary fanfare to taste good — so we suggest you stick to recipes that complement the prawns by allowing their flavor to shine through. But really, you can use it however you like.
For some serious spot prawn inspiration, here are 6 dishes that you can make that will put your spot prawn stock to great use:
Tomato and Spot Prawn Soup
Edible Alaska’s recipe for tomato and spot prawn soup might seem a bit basic when you look at the ingredient list — essentially, it’s composed of tomatoes, onions, celery, and cream — but trust us when we insist that it’s going to blow your expectations out of the water. Using spot prawns, as well as their stock, will transform a humble tomato soup into a fine first course.
Spot Prawns, Fennel and Feta in Pernod Butter
We’re taking our cues from Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for pan-cooked prawns with fennel, feta, and a Pernod-infused butter sauce. You’ll just want to make a few adjustments: Swap out the “king prawns” in his recipe for 16 ounces of peeled spot prawns. And since you’ll be using spot prawns whose heads have already been removed, make sure to use prawn stock instead of the veggie stock that the recipe calls for to boost the prawniness of the overall dish. Keep in mind that while this dish comes together quickly, you’ll want to plan ahead so that the prawns and feta have plenty of time to marinate.
Spot Prawn Risotto
This herbaceous spot prawn risotto from Nourished Kitchen is a perfect summer dish, with its citrusy dose of mellow Meyer lemon zest and juice. For this recipe, swap out the chicken stock for prawn stock. If you don’t quite have enough prawn stock to fulfill what the recipe calls for, just top things off with some water.
Spot Prawns and Polenta
This recipe from Guilty Kitchen will level up your shrimp and grits beyond your wildest dreams. Sweet, wild spot prawns poised atop a pillow of good-quality polenta will taste almost like dessert. Again, use spot prawn stock rather than chicken stock to make this dish even more delicious than it’s already designed to be.
White Fish Poached in Prawn Stock
This is a no-recipe recipe that is infinitely adaptable, depending on what you have in your kitchen. And you don’t need to have fresh spot prawns on hand to make this dish — just frozen prawn stock stored in your freezer.
In a shallow pan, simply bring to a simmer enough prawn stock to nearly cover a fish fillet of your choice, adding in an aromatic ingredient or three: coarsely chopped carrots, a crushed clove of garlic, a quarter of an onion, a couple coins of ginger, a handful of fresh herbs. A dash of milk, wine, soy sauce, or even high-quality vinegar is a nice, optional touch. The stock will gently poach a fillet like cod or halibut until the fish flakes easily with a fork, all the while becoming a delicious broth to serve with the fillet and toast points.
Spot Prawn-Enhanced Ramen Broth
Even if you’re not using spot prawns in your bowl of homemade ramen, you can make a delectable ramen broth with prawn stock.
The Chicago Tribune suggests making a “shortcut” ramen broth by simmering a quart of store-bought stock (veggie, chicken, or seafood) with 2 tablespoons of mirin and miso paste, a teaspoon or two of soy sauce, and a couple slices of ginger. Easy! But instead of using an entire quart of store-bought stock, use prawn broth in the mix; you can do half-chicken-half-prawn, fish stock fortified with a cup of spot prawn stock, whatever ratios or combinations make sense to you based on what you have available.
Stop Throwing Away Shrimp Shells!
FAQ
What do I do with shrimp stock?
Uses for Shrimp Stock
Shrimp stock can enhance the seafoody flavor of any number of applications. Use it in soups and stews calling for fish stock or clam juice, such as moqueca or cataplana, or in pasta dishes like linguine allo scoglio.
What can I use seafood stock for?
Fish stock is a versatile and flavorful base that can elevate both seafood and vegetarian dishes. Use fish stock to flavor soups, stews, sauces, risottos, pies, and paellas. If you made too much fish stock, pour it in an airtight container and freeze it for 4-6 months.
How long does shrimp stock keep?
How to Store. Shrimp stock will last in an airtight container for up to four days in the fridge. You can freeze the stock in an airtight container for up to four months.
What can you use shrimp bouillon for?
- Bone Broth with Carp or Fish Heads Rancho Grande Style. …
- Chicken & Shrimp Pancit Bihon. …
- Pumpkin and Shrimp Tamales. …
- Shrimp and Pork Egg Rolls with a Unique Twist. …
- Risotto with Wild Asparagus and Red Shrimp. …
- Risotto with Zucchini Cream and Shrimp in a Pressure Cooker.