Sophia's Freshly Made Seafood Broth

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch celery, coarsely chopped
• 4 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 large green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• ½ bunch fresh oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 ½ (1 liter) bottles water
• ½ pound fish parts (such as bones, spine, and tail)
• 2 large fish heads
• 2 cups clam juice
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Step 1

Lightly heat some olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and fragrant—about 5 minutes. Then add the celery, carrots, and bell peppers, and let everything cook together for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the cilantro, oregano, and bay leaves, stirring them in for a couple of minutes to release their flavors.

Step 2

Pour in the water along with the fish parts, heads, clam juice, and peppercorns. Bring the whole pot to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently, uncovered, for at least 4 hours. This slow simmering really helps develop a rich, deep flavor.

Step 3

Once it’s done, turn off the heat and let the broth cool for about half an hour. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to fish out the bigger pieces, then strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer to catch any remaining bones or bits. Your broth is now ready to use, or you can freeze it for later meals.