If you find yourself at the wrong end of a practical joke today, you’ll remember that it’s April Fool’s Day. But if you find a paper fish stuck to your back, or even to your front door, you’ll know you’re in France, where we celebrate the holiday known as Poisson d’avril, or April Fish. Nowadays, nearly 20 countries around the world celebrate some form of April Fool’s Day. The holiday’s origins are confusing at best, and plenty of theories abound. The very first reference to an April 1st prank comes from Geoffroy Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, but scholars tend to disagree on what Chaucer’s real meaning was. The most widely accepted theory in France behind the legend of the April Fish originated in 1564. Before this date, April 1st was the official beginning of the New Year. But with the Edict of Roussillon, King Charles the IX modified the calendar, adopting what would become known as the Gregorian or Western calendar. It was put into general use by Pope Gregory the XIII in 1582, and it’s the calendar we still use today – even if the French used the Republican calendar between 1793 and 1806. Before the calendar change, people gave each other gifts on April 1st, including food, to celebrate the New Year. One of those gifts may have been fish, the symbol of Lent, which is right around the end of March. But apparently some people had trouble adapting to the new calendar, and others, simply not in-the-know, got left behind. They were mocked and given prank gifts on April 1st, including a paper fish stuck to their back. Many scholars have disproved the exactitude of this story, and they’ve also disclaimed the theory suggesting that a real herring was stuck to a fisherman’s ample clothing on opening day of fishing season, only to be discovered when the fish began to smell. On a gentler and more savory note, people began sending decorative postcards in the beginning of the 20th century, to wish each other love, friendship, and happiness on April 1st. Nowadays on April Fish you’ll find pranks in the media, and perhaps even a fish stuck to your front door, courtesy of the neighborhood children. However April Fish was born, one thing is sure: the foodies among us have fish on our minds! And this is a great time of year for fish and seafood – take advantage of the last scallops and mussels. A great solution for enjoying any seafood dish is by making a fumet to use in soups and for poaching. Fish fumet is a light fish stock made from well-rinsed non-oily fish bones, heads, and trimmings, along with finely cut vegetables and other aromatics like herbs. You’ll find the list of fish to use in the recipe below – in French we call these lean or “noble” fish. The key to a successful fumet is to clean the fish bones and trimmings thoroughly to get rid of blood and other impurities that will cloud your finished fumet. Another key is to cut the vegetables finely enough so that their flavor is extracted in a short amount of time – fumet is only simmered for about 30 minutes! Basic fish fumet ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30g) butter 1¼ pounds (560g) fish bones and trimmings (including heads) from non-oily flat fish like sole, plaice, turbot, John Dory, brill, whiting, or hake   aromatics: 1 medium shallot (about 30g) 1 medium leek, white part only (about 2 inches long; 55g) ½ of a medium carrot (30g) 10 mushroom stems (35g) (optional) ⅓ cup (80ml) dry white wine (Sauvignon blanc is perfect) 3⅓ cups (780ml) cold water, or more depending on size of pot 2-3 parsley stems 10 black peppercorns 1 small sprig thyme ½ bay leaf how to make it: 1. Peel and wash the vegetables. Finely slice them lengthwise, and then crosswise to about ⅛ of an inch thick (3mm). 2. Rinse the fish bones under cold running water. If using heads, remove the eyes and gills, and scrape the inside of the heads with your fingers or a dull knife to remove blood or other impurities. Then place bones and heads in a bowl of cold water to soak for about 5 minutes. If the water looks cloudy after a few minutes, change it. 3. Drain the fish bones and heads and cut each fish into 3-4 pieces. 4. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot until it foams. Add the sliced vegetables, and cook them, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the fish bones/heads and stir, cooking for about 3 minutes more, turning the pieces over once. 5. Add the white wine and cook for about 2 minutes, letting the white wine evaporate a bit. Then add the water, making sure it covers all the ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring once gently. Add the parsley stems and peppercorns. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes, skimming the fumet often with a shallow spoon, but without stirring the ingredients. 6. Add the thyme and bay leaf, and simmer for 10 more minutes. 7. Remove from heat and pour gently through a fine-meshed strainer and into a large bowl, without pressing on the solids in the strainer. 8. Cool quickly using a cold-water bath. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, to use in dishes like this mussel soup, or freeze in one portion or in ice-cube trays for small portions. makes about 3 cups (700ml) fumet