Thai and Malaysian · Stock · From Noodle soups from scratch
Shrimp stock
From the heads and shells
I don't buy stock for my noodle soups. Whenever I peel shrimp, the heads and shells go straight into a pot, and half an hour later I have a better stock than anything in a carton.
I also keep a bag in the freezer and add the shells every time I make shrimp, so there's usually enough for a batch without planning ahead.
Use head-on black tiger prawns. The heads are where the flavor is, so fry them until they're bright red before any water goes in.
It's the base for my tom yum and curry laksa.
- Yield
- About 5 cups
- Time
- About 35 minutes
Ingredients
Scale
- Heads and shells from 1 lb head-on black tiger prawns (8 to 10 big ones)
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- 5½ cupswater
- ½ tspBetter Than Bouillon chicken base, or ½ cup chicken stock, for body
Method
- Fry the heads and shells in the oil on medium-high for 4 to 5 minutes, pressing the heads with a spoon, until they're bright red and smell toasty.
- Add the water and the Better Than Bouillon or chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then simmer 25 minutes.
- Strain, pressing on the shells. Taste before you season the soup; Better Than Bouillon is salty.
Notes
- It keeps 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
What I use
- Chicken base, for body in stock: Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken