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Susan's Basic Turkey Stock

Issue date: 
November, 2009

Susan Ford, Publisher, Louisiana Cookin'

This stock is critical to the success of my Thanksgiving dinners. It bastes the turkey, flavors the green beans, adds color to the mashed potatoes, and makes my turkey gravy disappear. I start it the night before and simmer it all night, so the house smells like Thanksgiving when we get up Thursday morning. Any leftovers give you a head-start on turkey soup, and it freezes well.

Note that there is no salt in this recipe so as not to interfere with the seasoning in other recipes- when you taste the stock for seasoning, add a tiny sprinkle of salt so the flavor blooms.

Servings: 
N/A

Ask your butcher in advance to save you turkey backs, necks, and wings, if they're not regularly available in your market.

  • 8 - 10 pounds of turkey backs, necks, and wings, skin on
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 1 large yellow onion, brittle outer skin and root end removed, cut into small wedges*
  • 1 bunch green onion, root ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 carrot, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 celery ribs, leaves included, cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, cleaned
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or coarsely ground black pepper
  • 3-4 whole bay leaves
  • Water, as needed

*Leave some of the golden skins on- they add color to the stock

Recipe photo: 
Turkey stock from Louisiana Cookin magazine
Instructions: 
You need to start this the night before Thanksgiving. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in stock pot large enough to hold 3+ gallons of water. Working in batches, brown the turkey parts to a golden brown on all sides, removing to a pan as they're done, approximately 8 - 10 minutes per batch. Add oil as necessary, but the turkey throws off enough fat you shouldn't have to add much. Keep the browned tasty bits scraped up off the bottom of the pot so they don't burn. After all the turkey is browned, add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring often, until softened, approximately 10 minutes. Return the turkey to the pot along with any juices that have collected in the pan. Add enough cold water to cover the turkey by 2-3 inches, raise the heat, and bring to a low boil. Cook for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add enough water to bring the level to 2 inches below the rim of the pot and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add all other ingredients. Adjust the heat until the pot is at a bare simmer and cook all night, instructing the household to give it a minimal stir if they get up in the night. The next morning, remove from heat and allow to cool for half an hour. Line your biggest colander with cheesecloth and strain broth into another large pot. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and strain off what you judge to be excess fat. Discard the solids unless you want some of the meat from the neck and wings as texture in your stuffing- it's given off all its flavor by now. Put the strained broth into a smaller pot and keep it over low heat on a back burner to use all day.

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