Golden Turkey Stock Recipes

TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into a large stock pot or your biggest saucepan, and top up with 2 litres water. Add more water to cover all the ingredients if needed.
• Bring to a simmer over a high heat, skimming off any foam that appears on top of the liquid with a spoon. Reduce to a medium heat, then simmer, half covered, for 3 hrs - the stock will have reduced and concentrated its flavours. Or, if you prefer a lighter stock, cover fully while simmering.
• Turn off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes, then carefully strain into a container or bowl to cool completely. Will keep in the fridge for a week and for three months in the freezer.

A SIMPLY PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
• Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
• Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in lowest position.
• If using turkey wings, halve at joints with a cleaver or large knife, then crack wing bones in several places with back of cleaver or knife. (Do not crack bones if using other parts.) Pat turkey dry. Roast turkey parts, skin sides down, in dry roasting pan, turning once, until browned well, about 1 hour. Transfer to an 8-quart stockpot using tongs, reserving fat in roasting pan.
• Add onions, celery, and carrots to fat in pan and roast, stirring halfway through roasting, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Add vegetables to turkey in stockpot.
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 2 cups water and deglaze by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add deglazing liquid to turkey and vegetables in stockpot, then add remaining 3 1/2 quarts water along with remaining ingredients and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and gently simmer, uncovered, 3 hours.
• Strain stock through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids. (You will have about 10 cups stock.) If using immediately, let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. If not, chill, uncovered, until cool, then covered, before skimming fat (it will be easier to remove when cool or cold).

SERIOUS TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Place turkey parts in a large pan and cook in the oven until they are golden, with the skin beginning to separate from the end of the drumsticks, approximately 30 minutes.
• Transfer turkey parts and all fat and juices to a large stockpot. Cover turkey with water and place pot over high heat and bring water to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for as long as you can manage, even overnight.
• Add vegetables, bay leaves, thyme and pepper and continue to cook another hour, then strain stock into a clean container. Cover and refrigerate. When cool, pull off the layer of fat on top and discard. Reheat for use.

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.

GOLDEN TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange wings in large roasting pan. Roast until deep brown, turning once, about 2 hours total. Transfer wings to large bowl. Spoon 3 tablespoons turkey fat from roasting pan into large pot (reserve roasting pan). Add onion, carrot, and celery to pot. Saute over medium high heat until vegetables are golden, about 20 minutes. Add turkey wings to pot. Add 2 cups water to roasting pan; place over 2 burners and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add liquid to pot. Add remaining ingredients and enough cold water to cover wings by 1 inch. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer uncovered until stock is very flavorful and reduced to 7 1/2 to 8 cups, about 2 1/2 hours. Strain stock into large bowl. Cool 1 hour, then chill until cold, about 3 hours. Do ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. (Can also be made and frozen 2 weeks ahead.) Spoon off fat from surface before using.

HOMEMADE TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
• Using heavy cleaver, chop wings into 2-inch pieces. (See Test-Kitchen Tips, below.) Spread wings in roasting pan and roast, turning with tongs after 20 minutes, until deeply browned, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 6-quart stock pot over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add wings and any pan juices and reduce heat to low.
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on high heat and cook until browned bits are sizzling, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups cold water and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits with flat wooden spatula or spoon. Pour liquid into pot and add enough cold water to cover ingredients by 1 inch, about 14 cups.
• Raise heat to high and bring to boil, skimming foam from surface. Add parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 3 hours, adding water as needed to keep wings covered.
• Pour stock through fine-mesh sieve into large bowl, discarding solids. If using immediately, let stand until yellow fat rises to surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. If not using immediately, place bowl in larger bowl of iced water. Let stand, changing ice water as it warms, until stock is tepid, at least 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then scrape off and discard fat. (Stock can be made ahead and refrigerated in airtight container up to 2 days or frozen up to 6 months. Reheat in saucepan over low heat before using for stuffing and turkey.)