Crab Stock
Crab stock is a mainstay in my kitchen during Dungeness crab season, which in California runs from November through April. But you can legally catch red and rock crabs all year long, and they make a fine stock, too. After picking the meat out of the crabs, I use the leftover shells to make this rich broth.
The vegetables in here are what I use, and are open to substitution: The only ones you really, really need are the onions (or leeks), celery and fennel. Fennel adds a lot here. If you can’t find it, add fennel seeds, or even a shot of ouzo or other anise-flavored liqueur.
Use any crabs you have available: Dungeness, blue crabs, stone crabs, rock crabs, snow or king crabs, really anything works.
A couple of pointers: Don’t let this boil (just a gentle simmer is all you need) and don’t be tempted to simmer it for more than 2 1/2 hours or it will lose flavor and get cloudy. I typically go for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Makes 3-4 quarts.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Bodies and shells from 4-5 Dungeness crabs or 6-12 smaller crabs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- Tops from 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt
__________
- Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot and saute the vegetables over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Add the crab shells and bodies and smash them all with a potato masher. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple times.
- Add the white wine, tomato paste, bay leaves and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Let this cook for a minute or two, then pour in enough cold water to cover everything by about an inch; normally this is about 10 cups. Let this simmer gently for 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.
- Turn off the heat and use tongs or a skimmer to remove as much solid material as possible from the pot. Discard. Set up another large pot or pots and put a fine-meshed strainer over it. Line the strainer with cheesecloth and pour the stock through.
- Add salt to taste, then let the stock cool for 15-30 minutes, then pour into quart jars. The stock will keep for a week in the fridge. It will freeze well for 2 months; after that it deteriorates rapidly.
