Usually, the stock at the store is not very flavorful. You could use that and pep it up a bit with some of the cajun seasoning but I decided to make my own. Thanks to this recipe, I’ll never need to track it down again.

Ingredients for Stock

• 4–6 cups shellfish shells, (shrimp, lobster, and/or crab) or a frozen bag of seafood blend
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. Break up larger pieces of shell by placing in a resealable bag and hitting with a meat mallet or rolling pin. You can use whole shrimp shells, so don’t add those to the bag.
2. Add oil to a stockpot over medium heat. Add shells, onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 
3. Stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 2 1/2 quarts of water, tomato paste, white wine, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 hour. 
4. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have about 2 quarts of stock. 
5. Use stock right away or store it. 

What if you aren’t going to use this stock right away in a recipe?

That’s no problem. Simply cool the stock down to room temperature, then add it to an airtight container.

Stock can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you aren’t planning to use it that quickly, you can freeze it until you need it.

Just need a little bit at a time? Try freezing stock in ice cube trays so you’ll have small portions ready to go, without any need to thaw the whole batch.