Holiday Turkey Stock
If you’re like us, you have so many leftovers and random veggie scraps after Thanksgiving dinner. This classic turkey stock is my was over getting every last bit of flavor out of my turkey. Making this every every year comes in very handy when making the gravy because this infuses so much more flavor than drippings alone.
Turkeys are loaded with collagen and connective tissue that isn’t really able to be utilized by roasting. Slow cooking a turkey in water allows for all of that to infuse into the stock. The skin is also loaded with all the flavor and fat which help gives the stock its body.
We always roast my veggies and toast my spices for stocks because it brings out the natural oils and develops a much deeper flavor. This will make the stock darker overall, but better.
When straining the stock, we strain twice to ensure none of the bits of meat, veggies or bone get into the final product. If you do not have a Bouillon or Chinois Strainer you can use a normal one. This will not affect the flavor of the broth, but there might be some small bits of meat or herbs in the broth.
TOTAL COOK TIME: 6 Hours
EQUIPMENT:
Large Stock pot
Strainer
Bouillon / Chinois Strainer
INGREDIENTS: Ratios are all optional and can be changed or replaced to fit your preference!
Turkey carcass
4 large onions cut in quarters
Shallots
Carrots
Celery
Citrus
Garlic
Whole spices, toasted
Fresh herbs
Salt to tast
Literally anything else you’d like to flavor the broth like ginger or other aromatics
STEPS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees or use the broil setting
Chop all the veggies and season liberally with salt and avocado oil
Place in baking tray and roast until softened and browned (a little burning around the edges is ok and will give the stock flavor)
Toast spices in cast iron pan or in oven until they just start to smoke.
Once roasted, place veggies and spices in a large stock pot
Place the turkey carcass on top and fill the pot to the top with water leaving 3-4 inches of space so it doesnt boil over
Turn the heat up to high and wait for the pot to boil, stirring occasionally
Once a good boil starts, turn the heat down to low so the pot comes down to more of a simmer
For the next 3-6 hours alternate from low heat to simmer to control over boiling
Once the broth has cooked for a significant amount of time, turn off the heat
Remove turkey carcass from the pot and remove any meat to use for later
Set up two strainers — one normal and one Chinois Strainer both over bowls or containers to catch all the liquid
Scoop out all the veggies and bones from the stock into a normal strainer (this makes it easier to just pour the liquid out of the pot without the cooked veggies making a mess)
Once the veggies and bones are taken out of the pot, pour the remaining liquid into the Chinois Strainer
Press the contents in the normal strainer to ensure all the liquid come out, lots gets trapped in the cooked veggies and bits of meat
Once you’ve gotten all the liquids out, pour them into Chinois Strainer and toss all the solids
Store in containers in the fridge for two weeks or freeze for up to two years with proper containers
Use for soups, sauces, gravy or just sipping!