Shrimp Stock
No album pairing on this one — it is a freezer-and-scraps project, not a vibe check. Put on whatever helps you tolerate simmering, or enjoy the quiet.
This is not a precious recipe with cup measurements and a story arc — it is you, a pot, and whatever shells and sad produce the crisper hands you. That is the fun.
Ingredients
Main event
- Frozen shrimp shells — dump in whatever you have been gradually saving (no exact weight, that is the point)
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, sliced horizontally through the middle so every clove gets cut in half
- Cold water to cover
- 1 bay leaf
Raid the kitchen (optional but smart)
- Onion, celery, carrot — whatever is on its way out, rough chop, no guilt
- A big handful of onion skins if you save them
Steps
- Shells in the pot: Take the frozen shrimp shells you have been gradually saving and put them in a large stock pot.
- Garlic: Cut one whole bulb of garlic horizontally through the equator so all the cloves get halved — papers can and should stay; we are not doing a beauty contest.
- Clean-out veg: Look for any onion, celery, or carrot that is on its way out and throw it in. Onion skins too. It is not an exact recipe — more veg means more backbone, less veg still works.
- Bay + water: Add one bay leaf...or two if you're feeling froggy. Cover with cold water.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer for two hours or longer if you walk away — longer is usually friendlier.
- Skim: Foam rises; skim it off the top.
- Pack it up: Strain, cool, and freeze in 1 cup and 2 cup portions. Save some for your friend Matt.
Tips
- Label your containers with a date — future you is optimistic but not psychic.
- If the pot runs low, add hot water and keep simmering; you are extracting flavor, not reducing aggressively.