Fish Stock For Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large onions
• peeled and minced
• 2 leeks (white part only)
• minced
• 4 cloves garlic
• peeled and crushed
• 3 pounds small to medium fish heads (gills removed) and bones
• 6 to 8 ripe plum tomatoes
• quartered
• Peel of 1 orange
• cut in strips
• 1 celery stalk
• cut in pieces
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons pastis (Ricard or Pernod)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 quarts boiling water

Instructions

1. Place a large heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat, and heat olive oil.
2. Add onions and leeks.
3. Saute gently until softened but not colored, about 10 minutes.
4. Add garlic, and continue to cook until onions and leeks are very soft and breaking apart, another 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Put 4 quarts water in a large pot, and bring to a boil.
6. Meanwhile, add fish to onion mixture, raise heat to high, and stir vigorously until pieces begin to fall apart, 7 to 10 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes, orange peel, celery, thyme, bay leaves, cayenne and pastis.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Reduce heat to medium, and saute for 10 minutes.
10. Add boiling water; simmer 25 minutes.
11. Working in small batches, pass mixture through a food mill or strainer.
12. Press fish scraps and vegetables through with the aid of the fish broth to ease flow.
13. Allow to cool.
14. Store refrigerated or frozen.