You know the scene after a typical Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner. Someone cleans all the meat off the turkey bones and saves it for sandwiches. Then all the bones and skin gets tossed out. Don't do it! A delicious and versatile stock can be made quite easily out of the bits and pieces that can be used to make turkey soup.
Turkey Stock
- All the bones and skin from leftover roast turkey
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 onions washed but unpeeled and cut into quarters
- 2 carrots washed but unpeeled and cut into big pieces
- 2 ribs of celery cut into big pieces
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, washed but unpeeled and smashed
- 3 sprigs of parsley, whole
Put all ingredients into a large stock pot. Add enough water to within an inch of the top of the pot. Heat to just below boiling, then turn fire down to a low simmer. There will probably be a foam that forms from the vegetables, skim this off the surface until no more forms. Try not to let the water reach a full boil, as this will cause some of the bones to break down and give the stock an off flavor. Simmer for 2-4 hours with the lid off. You want some of the water to evaporate so the stock will be more concentrated in flavor. After it's done simmering, strain the liquid and put it into a large bowl. Place it in the refrigerator overnight to cool. After it has cooled, all of the fat will have congealed on the surface of the stock. This seals the stock and helps to keep it fresh for up to a week. You can skim as much of the fat off that you do not want, and either use the stock immediately or freeze it.
This stock is great for turkey noodle soup, turkey stew, and any other recipe that uses any kind of
poultry stock. The stock will be a gel when it is cold, which signifies how rich and flavorful it is. The more it has gelled, the better it is!
You may have noticed that I use no salt when making this stock. I prefer to season the stock when I use it. If you put salt in it when you make it, it can be hard to judge how salty it will be when it reduces.
You can use this recipe to make stock from roast chicken leftovers too. And don't just eat turkey on Thanksgiving! Turkey is one of the healthier meats you can eat (as long as you don't overdo it with the skin and fat!) and it is very versatile too.
