30 Nov Using your thanksgiving leftovers
My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers, I buy a larger turkey than I need just to ensure I have enough leftovers! White meat is usually reserved for sandwiches and reheated plates, but the real magic involves the carcass and the dark meat. Making stock from scratch can be intimidating, but it’s so easy and if you use a big enough pot, you can have homemade stock for months! And there is something magically about turning plain clear water into a golden savory broth!!
The day after thanksgiving is dedicated to decorating for the Christmas holiday, so letting this pot sit on the stove all day works out great, and the house smells amazing!
In a large stock pot, add the entire turkey carcass, carrots and celery (chopping into 1-2″ chunks), 2 onions that have been quartered, a few smashed garlic cloves, a tablespoon of whole peppercorns (if you put the peppercorns in the palm of your hand and kinda rough them up with the thumb of your other hand, this opens them up a little), a whole bay leaf and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered, and set it over high heat until it boils. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes or so then reduce the heat to a high simmer, cover and walk away. I usually give this stage 3-4 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.
Strain the stock reserving the carcass (to pick off any meat, if you’d like. If not, discard with the vegetables and spices), put the stock back on the stove, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium high so you have a good low boil and allow the stock to reduce by about 1/4 to 1/2. The more it reduces the more flavorful it’ll be. Once it reduces to your liking, allow to cool completely and then store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer.
This recipe is great to use with chicken carcasses as well.
Turkey/chicken stock
Ingredients
1 carcass (turkey or chicken)
4-5 large stalks celery, 2″ chunks
4-5 large carrots, 2″ chunks
2 medium onions, quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Directions
Add all ingredients into stock pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4-5 hours. Allow to cool slightly. Strain stock, discard vegetables and carcass (I like to pick the carcass as clean as I can and reserve any meat for soup), return liquid to stove, bring to a high simmer until the stock reduces by about half, about another 2-3 hours (this concentrates the flavors and makes it amazing). Cool and refrigerate (for up to 3 days) or freeze accordingly.
Makes about 16-32 cups, depending on how much water you add initially.
Per cup
Calories 10 * Fat 1g * Carbohydrates 0g * Protein 1g * sodium 115
Leftovers and Turkey Soup
Ingredients
8-10 cups turkey stock (see recipe above)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced
3-4 cups left over turkey meat, diced
1-3 cups left over vegetables, diced (optional: green beans, corn, brussel sprouts, etc)
1/2 cup long grain brown rice (optional)
Directions
In large pot, heat oil and butter over medium high heat, add celery, onion, carrots and garlic and cook until onion is just turning translucent. Add turkey meat, give it a stir and then add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1-2 hours (or all day, the smells are amazing). About an hour before serving, add any leftover vegetables and rice. Cover and cook for another hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves about 8
With Rice: Calories 253 * Fat 9g * Carbohydrates 18g (fiber 2g * sugar 7g) * Protein 24g
Without Rice: Calories 240 * Fat 9g * Carbohydrates 15g (fiber 2g * sugar 7g) * Protein 23g
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