Amberjack Fish Fond
a base preparation from amberjack trimmings
Difficulty
Difficult
Preparation
30 min
Cooking
90 min
Yield
1.5–2 litres
Category
Base preparations
Season
Year-round
Cuisine
Contemporary
Roasted amberjack fish fond with aromatic base of celery, carrot, onion and mint — base preparation from bones and trimmings of Ischia amberjack
Propaganda's Amberjack Fish Fond is a base preparation made from the trimmings of a 10 kg Ischia amberjack: bones, head and offcuts are first roasted in the oven with oil and parsley, then cooked slowly with an aromatic base of celery, carrot, onion, thyme, parsley and mint, with tomato paste for depth and colour. The result is a dark, amber-coloured, concentrated fond — far richer than a classic pale fish stock — that becomes the base for sauces, dressings and fine fish dishes.
Ingredients
For the amberjack trimmings
Bones, trimmings and head of the amberjack5 kg
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
Fresh parsleyto taste
For the aromatic base
Celery stalks350 g
Carrots350 g
Golden onion350 g
Fresh thymeto taste
Fresh parsleyto taste
Fresh mintto taste
Extra virgin olive oilto taste
For the base and reduction
Tomato paste2–3 tbsp
Cold waterto taste
Method
01
Cleaning the amberjack
Scale, gut and fillet the amberjack. Set aside all the trimmings — particularly the bones — which will form the base of the fond. Remove the eyes from the head before proceeding.
02
Roasting the bones
Arrange the bones on a baking tray with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh parsley. Roast in the oven until the bones are lightly browned and fragrant — this step deeply intensifies the flavour of the fond.
03
Preparing the aromatic base
Meanwhile, finely chop the celery, carrot, onion, thyme, parsley and mint until you have a fine, even mixture.
04
Sautéing and adding the trimmings
In a large pot, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the chopped aromatics until softened. Add the tomato paste and let it cook briefly to develop flavour. Add the roasted bones along with all the cooking juices from the tray — these should be recovered in full.
05
Topping up with water
Cover everything generously with cold water, well above the level of the bones. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
06
Skimming
As soon as the liquid reaches the boil, foam will begin to form on the surface. Skim it off regularly with a skimming spoon to obtain a clean, clear fond.
07
Slow simmer
Lower the heat and let it simmer very gently, never at a vigorous boil, continuing to skim the surface occasionally throughout the cooking time.
08
Straining
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another clean saucepan, discarding the bones, vegetables and solid residue. Allow to drain naturally without pressing.
09
Final reduction
Return the strained liquid to the heat and continue cooking over low heat until it reaches the dense, concentrated consistency typical of a fond. Taste frequently in the final minutes: reduction happens quickly.
👨🍳 Chef's tip
