Fish Stock

Fish Stock is one of those basic recipes stuck in the back of any cookbook that you almost never get around to making because you a) don't want to follow their recipe, you want to do it your way b) maybe you don't quite have access to the ingredients (and then see a)

For me and this fish stock, it was all about b. It calls for a fish rack, which should be easy to find in the fishing capital of the universe, but I just never felt like wandering down to the docks and asking those big burly men if I could have some of that garbage they're about to tote away.

But--enter my friend Pat Scida, who likes to fish, and has been promising me for TWO YEARS that he would bring me a fish rack. Finally he remembered this past week and not only did I get a lovely bag full of bones and fish heads, but some nice, icy cold haddock fillets to boot.

So on the way to work I stopped at the market and got the other stuff--a fennel bulb, lemons, parsley--and made it this morning.

Folks, this is good stuff. Lemon juice and white wine add a little bit of tang to the natural salty, fishy goodness of the broth. I can't wait to use it a million different ways.

I will confess that I had intended to make Pike Quenelles with White Wine and Mushroom Sauce, but it just seemed too fussy and heavy for this hot humid weather. Watermelon! Cold soups! Wine Coolers! (well. not at work)