Shrimp Stock

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 pounds shrimp, use the heads and skin only, reserve the meat for another use.
• 3 onions, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• salt
• pepper
• 5 cups water
• 8 cloves garlic  (2 peeled and smashed, 6 minced)
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon minced

Instructions:

1. Make the Shrimp Stock: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shrimp shells, 2 cups onion, 1/2 cup celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells are spotty brown, about 10 minutes. Add water, smashed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and bring to just a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain shrimp stock through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stock can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.