Homemade Shrimp Stock

I am making shrimp and grits and bought raw, unpeeled shrimp for it. Since I have shrimp shells, I am going to make shrimp stock for the shrimp and grits. It gives it a some extra flavor.

Here are the shells:

Heat a pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of cooking oil. Add the shells and cook until they have turned pink and started to brown:

Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste to the pan and stir it constantly until it starts to brown:

Since I need about two cups of stock and don’t have a lot of shells, I added a quart of prepared chicken stock to the pot since it will cook down some.

Put the lid on a cook for about 20 minutes:

Remove the shells from the broth and run the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer:

Really not that much extra work and it makes a big difference in the taste of the finished dish. Enjoy!