Day After Turkey Stock Recipes

LEFTOVER T-DAY TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in oil until slightly softened and fragrant, 5 minutes. Add turkey, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, rosemary, and dried sage. Cook until fragrant, 5 minutes more. Pour enough water in to cover turkey and vegetables.
• Bring mixture to a boil, cover pot, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, skimming fat occasionally, until flavors are blended, 4 to 5 hours. Strain liquid into a container and discard carcass and vegetables.

ROASTED TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Using a sturdy knife or your hands, cut or tear turkey carcass into large pieces. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast until brown and sizzling, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and transfer pieces to a stockpot.
• Add onions, carrots and celery to the empty roasting pan and place over medium heat. Sauté briefly, just to loosen the crusty turkey bits from bottom of pan.
• Return pan to oven and cook until vegetables are browned around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and place it over medium heat. Add white wine and cook, stirring, until wine is reduced to a syrup, about 3 minutes.
• Add wine-vegetable mixture to stockpot. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves, black peppercorns and chile. Add 6 quarts water and place over medium-high heat just until mixture comes to a boil.
• Immediately reduce heat to low, skim any foam floating on top and simmer, skimming as needed, for 3 hours. Add 1 teaspoon salt and taste. If stock tastes watery, keep simmering until stock is flavorful. Taste for salt again and add more if needed.
• Strain stock through a sieve into a large container or containers. Discard solids. Let stock cool slightly, then refrigerate. Skim off any fat from the top of the stock. Use within 4 days or freeze.

TAKING STOCK AFTER THANKSGIVING

Steps:

• Rinse the turkey, making sure to wash away any stuffing that may be sticking to the walls of the cavity. Break apart if necessary, so the wing bones and thigh bones are detached. Place in a large stockpot, and add the water. It should cover the carcass.
• Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. The bubbles should just break gently on the surface. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Cover partially, turn the heat to very low and simmer two hours, skimming as necessary. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for another four hours, partially covered. Keep your eye on the pot, and skim as necessary.
• Before draining such a big pot of stock, I find it easiest to remove the carcass and bones using tongs. Gently strain the soup through a strainer, colander or conical chinois into a very large bowl. Line a strainer with cheesecloth, and strain once again. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill. Lift off any fat that has congealed on the top, and discard. Keep in the refrigerator, or freeze in small containers.
• Combine the stock, salt, pepper, carrots and celery, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the leftover vegetables and turkey, and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add the soup pasta, and simmer until tender, five to 10 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and stir in the parsley or cilantro. Serve.

DAY-AFTER-THANKSGIVING TURKEY CARCASS SOUP

Steps:

• Place the turkey carcass in a large, deep pot, and add the stuffing, celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, sage, and chicken broth. Pour in additional water if needed to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming off any foam. Remove the carcass and any bones. Pick any meat off and return to the pot, discarding bones and skin.
• Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the rice and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the peas, and continue to simmer until rice is tender, about 10 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.

EASY TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• In a 3-gallon stockpot, combine all ingredients and fill with enough cold water to cover ingredients by 3 inches when submerged (about 6 quarts).
• Bring to a rapid simmer over high (do not boil); reduce heat until bubbles barely break the surface. Simmer until flavorful, about 2 hours, skimming stock with a ladle every 30 minutes.
• Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard vegetables. Remove meat from bones and save for another use; discard bones. Let stock cool completely before refrigerating. (To store, refrigerate, up to 1 week, or freeze, up to 6 months.)