seafood-for-stockOne thing I do love about winter time is that it gives me the opportunity to make wholesome soups and stews. There is nothing quite like the taste of Pea and Ham soup with chunks of ham to give it some body or even chicken and corn soup or our favorite home made vegetable soup.


None of these are particularly challenging to make, simply add some ham or beef bones or chicken carcass to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and let the bones continue at a slow rolling boil until the meat has fallen from the bones, usually around and hour will suffice. I usually throw in an onion and whatever herbs I have on hand. Cool the liquid and strain it so that all the bones and bouquet garni is removed.

Chop up any meat and add to the liquid with a fresh chopped up onion, a couple of cups of washed lentils, yellow for pea and ham soup, mixed for vegetable soup. Add fresh herbs for flavoring, chopped carrot, celery, capsicum. In fact add anything that your family likes. The beauty of home made soup is that you can just about add anything to it and it will just add to the flavor.

I am a fan of fish soup, although the smell of boiling fish isn’t all that pleasant. Simply boil up fish heads and carcasses to make a fish stock you can also throw in prawn casings, for about an hour at a rolling boil. Cool and drain the liquid and discard the bones.

To 8 cups of fish stock add:

2 large peeled potatoes
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 stalks of celery finely chopped
1/2 cup rice
1 tsp basil
4 drops of tabasco sauce
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup plain flour ( or 3-4 tbls of cornflour)
approx 1 cup milk
2 tsps curry powder (optional)
2 tsps anchovy sauce
lots of chopped parsley

I love adding heaps of parsley and my fish soup is often a greeny color but add only a couple of stalks if you’re not fond of parsley.

Heat the fish stock, add the potatios, onion, celery, rice. basil, tabasco, bayleaves, salt and pepper and cook for about 30 minutes.

Thicken with plain flour mixed to a smooth paste with the milk and the curry powder (remember its optional).

Stir the flour mixture into the stock and allow it to cook through and thicken. Add anchovy sauce, stirring it in well.

Add the parsley a few minutes before serving, saving a few sprigs to decorate the soup.

If you don’t wish to thicken the soup with flour simply add more vegetables such as potatoes or even cauliflower which does an excellent job of thickening if left to cook until it disintegrates into the soup.

Soup stock can be frozen for use in a number of fish recipes. It’s not difficult to make and it is very tasty.

I am a haphazard cook so I tend to add any ingredients I think will add to the flavor or texture of a dish. And this recipe is no different from anything else I cook. Throw in some cauliflower or broccoli, extra potatoes if you want the soup to extend around more people. If it starts to get to thick, simply add some more milk or milk and water combined. Don’t be afraid to experiment it’s all part of the joy of cooking.

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