Homemade Fish Stock~ nutritional support for the thyroid

My husband and I used to make this when we lived in Santa Cruz by the yacht harbor. There are fish-cleaning stations at the harbor and the fishermen would invariably slice the filets off the sides of the fish and discard the heads, bones, etc. More than once my husband would come home with a good haul of fish parts... Good base for boulliabasse or cioppino.... mmmm...

lifted from a blog~ 

http://thewinewench.com/wine-reviews/homemade-fish-stock/

Homemade Fish Stock

We eat a lot of Fish Stock/Broth in our house. When I learned of the nutritional support it provided to the thyroid gland, I immediately got over my challenges of fish. I don’t like the smell, I mean who wants their house to smell fishy? I like eating fish, but really don’t like preparing it. I’ve since gotten over this silly hang up and dove in head first.

When making fish stock you want to use whole carcasses, including the heads, of non-oily fish such as sole, turbot, rockfish, or snapper. With that in mind I went to my fish merchant at Whole Foods and placed my order of red snapper fish heads and whole carcasses. Jono was able to get my order in by the next day. I didn’t realize how BIG red snapper heads are. I thought I was going to be buying a bunch of small fish heads, but when Jono pulled them out they were huge, 4 pounds per head. I bought 4. He didn’t have snapper carcasses, but dover sole, so I took about 10 pounds, including the tails.

The heads are especially rich in iodine and fat-soluble vitamins. Also, you don’t want to use oily fish like salmon because the highly unsaturated fish oils become rancid during the long cooking process.

Fascinated at my order, all the guys behind the fish counter wanted to know what the heck I was doing with heads and carcasses and tails. Ah, I couldn’t help it, I gave them a foodie lesson on fish stock. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, they understood and related stories of their parents and grandparents and their similar traditions, as well as their health and  longevity.

Once I got my order home, I eagerly unwrapped the package and started to broth. I’m not going to lie, these fish heads were hard to look at. My son was horrified when he saw them floating around in the stock pot. I couldn’t help but giggle. I enjoy freaking him out. I’ve had thyroid problems ever since I can remember and given that millions of people suffer from thyroid problems, why not do something to heal and boost your thyroid? In that spirit we drink fish broth every day. I throw in some creamed coconut or coconut milk with some nutritional yeast flakes for B vitamins and some whey for digestion.

All in all the fish stock is very easy to make:
3 or 4 whole carcasses, including heads, of non-oily fish such as sloe, turbot, rockfish or snapper
2 tablespoons raw butter2 onions, coarsely chopped1 carrot, coarsely chopped
several sprigs fresh thyme
several sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/4 cup of vinegar
about 3 quarts cold filtered water

Sally Fallon explains in Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, Melt butter in a large stainless steel pot. Add the vegetables and cook very gently, about 1/2 hour, until they are soft. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add the fish carcasses and cover with cold, filtered water. Add vinegar. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum and impurities as they rise to the top. Tie herbs together and add to the pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 4 hours or as long as 24. Remove carcasses with tongs or a slotted spoon and strain the liquid into pint-sized storage containers for refrigerator or freezer. Chill well in the refrigerator and remove any congealed fat before transforming to the freezer for long-term storage. I triple this recipe because we go through so much. For additional stock/broth recipes read Sally’s article Beautiful Broth.

Meat and fish stocks play a role in all traditional cuisines—French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, African, South American, Middle Eastern and Russian. In America, stock went into gravy and soups and stews. That was when most animals were slaughtered locally and nothing went to waste. Bones, hooves, knuckles, carcasses and tough meat went into the stock pot and filled the house with the aroma of love. Today we buy individual fillets and boneless chicken breasts, or grab fast food on the run, and stock has disappeared from the American tradition. – Sally Fallon Beautiful Broth

Another traditional belief is that fish head broth contributes to virility. Fish stock, made from carcasses and heads of the fish, is especially rich in minerals including all-important iodine. Even more important, stock made from the heads, and therefore the thyroid glands of the fish, supplies thyroid hormone and other substances that nourish the thyroid gland. Four thousand years ago, Chinese doctors rejuvenated aging patients with a soup made from the thyroid glands of animals. According to ancient texts, this treatment helped patients feel younger, gave them more energy and often restored mental abilities. During the reign of Queen Victoria, prominent London physicians prescribed specialty raw thyroid sandwiches to failing patients. Very few of us could eat such fare with relish, but soups and sauces made from fish broth are absolutely delicious–a remedy that no convalescent could refuse. According to some researchers, at least 40 percent of all Americans suffer from a deficiency of the thyroid gland with its accompanying symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, frequent colds and flu, inability to concentrate, depression and a host of more serious complications like heart disease and cancer. We would do well to imitate our brothers from the Mediterranean and Asian regions by including fish broth in the diet as often as possible. – Sally Fallon Nourishing Traditions Cookbook