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Happy Turkeyocaust!
Posted by tgirsch

Try not to eat TOO much.

And don’t waste that turkey carcass! Instead, make stock:

After carving the turkey, add the carcass (all bones, scraps, skin, etc. — even the gibliets and neck!) to the largest stock pot you’ve got (at least 8 qt) with about 4 carrots cut up, and four ribs of celery (including the green leafy parts), as well as any herbs you’ve got laying around. Add about 2 tsp of whole black peppercorns and a tablespoon of poultry stuffing seasoning, and then fill the pot with water, leaving about 2″ of headroom. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer (covered) for about 3-4 hours. Allow the stock to cool somewhat, then strain it into a container (save the solids — you’re not done with those yet) and put it in the bottom of the fridge to cool more completely (overnight). In the morning, the fat will have risen to the top and solidified. Scrape this off the top. You can discard it, or you can freeze it for use in a roux, salad dressing or the Gravy of Tomorrow. The stock may be gelatinous — that’s a good thing.

What can you do with the stock? Well, you can make a turkey noodle soup (many recipes available on-line), or you can freeze it and save it for recipes that call for chicken stock. I like to pre-measure it into 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and 2 cup quantities and freeze these, so I’ve got ready-to-use amounts available quickly. (Tip: Once the pre-measured amounts have frozen solid, remove them from their containers and put them into a zip-top freezer bag, to save on freezer space.)

About those solids: If you’re willing to do a little dirty work, go through the scraps and pick out all the bones. You’re done with these. What’s left will be a mass of carrots, celery, herbs, and turkey scraps — which happen to make a good food for Fido. If you used onions in your stock, you’ll want to pick those out, too, as those can be toxic to dogs — I find it easier to skip the onions. But once the bones and any onions have been removed, put the remaining mess into a blender or food processor and puree it, adding a little water if necessary to make the job easier. This will get rid of chunks, and also chop up any small bones you may have missed. Refrigerate this for up to a week, or freeze some. It’s a great treat for the dog(s), although I wouldn’t replace more than about a third of their daily intake with this, just to make sure they’re getting good balance.

Enjoy the holiday!

November 22nd, 2007 Holiday, Food & Cooking | 4 comments