One Simple Trick That Makes Homemade Seafood Stock Taste Richer - Tasting Table

"The secret to deeply flavored seafood stock starts before the pot even hits the stove. We're talking about roasting your shells. Whether you have shrimp shells, lobster shells, or crab bodies, a short trip in the oven transforms them from pale and briny to golden and fragrant. The dry heat caramelizes natural sugars in the shells, intensifying their sweetness while coaxing out a rich, toasty depth you just cannot get from boiling them raw."

"To do it, spread your shells on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them lightly with oil. Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they turn a warm reddish-brown and smell faintly nutty. You don not want them to get charred. Just cook them enough color to deepen their flavor. Once roasted, scrape every bit - shells, juices, and any browned bits stuck to the pan - straight into your stockpot."

"At its core, roasting shells is all about the Maillard reaction - the chemical process where proteins and sugars brown under heat, producing hundreds of aromatic flavor compounds. While seafood shells do not have as much protein as meat, they still contain enough to develop those deep, savory notes when roasted. The oven also helps drive off excess moisture, concentrating their natural flavor before they even hit the simmering stage."

Roasting seafood shells before simmering concentrates and deepens stock flavor by caramelizing natural sugars and promoting Maillard reactions. Spread shells on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle lightly with oil, and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until warm reddish-brown and faintly nutty; avoid charring. Scrape shells, juices, and browned pan bits into the stockpot, add aromatics and water, and simmer gently. Roasting reduces moisture, releases subtle shell oils, and creates a richer, silkier mouthfeel, enhancing stocks for chowders, risottos, and bisques across shrimp, scallop, lobster, and crab varieties.

Read at Tasting Table