When I’m making fish stock my kitchen looks a little bit like a mashup of The Little Mermaid and The Sopranos.
Having to deal with fish heads aside (they’re great to have on the counter if you want to be alone in the kitchen), this is one of the simplest stocks to make because it doesn’t take hours and, if you have some in the freezer, making a fish or seafood chowder is a cinch. It’s also a lot cheaper to make than to buy.
I get my fish heads and bones at my local fish monger for next to nothing. Toss in a onion. celery and carrots – a few herbs and some white wine. Half an hour later the stock is done.
Fish stock
2-3 lbs fish heads and bones
2 onions
2 carrots
2 celery stocks
2 cups white wine (any kind you’d also drink)
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bunch parsley stems (save the leaves for something else)
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon salt (or, to taste)
Place all ingredients in a stock pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, and freeze or refrigerate liquid stock.
Meats, Roots and Leaves 
Just curious if a bit of vinegar would pull more minerals out of the carcasses…I have seen that used when making beef stock. Could that apply to fish stock as well?
Liam, I think you could try that. The wine probably does the same thing because of the acidity. Some (especially older) recipes call for splitting the head to expose more bones to the stock, but that can get a little gruesome.