Fish Stock

Clean, trim and roughly chop the vegetables  Picture  . Add the oil to a large saucepan over a low light. Add the vegetables and soften for about ten minutes stirring from time to time.

Wash the fish pieces getting rid of any blood. Strip off as much skin as possible and discard. Add the pieces to the vegetables along with the wine and reduce over a medium heat until there is about a glass of wine or so left.

Cut the half lemon into quarters and lighly crush the peppercorns and add to the saucepan along with the water and thyme. Simmer uncovered for twenty minutes skimmimg off any scum with a slotted spoon every now and again.

Take off the heat and allow to cool for ten minutes or so. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the fish and vegetables. Pour through a sieve to remove the smaller pieces.

Put back on a medium heat and reduce by about half which should deliver about a litre of stock. Cool and put in a freezer for about an hour, take out and spoon off any fat. Reheat, very lightly season with a couple of pinches of salt, and put into storage containers. Freeze but use within a couple of months.