Yield: 3 quarts Stock

Scott Nowell

This is a post Thansgiving preparation since we don’t usually have a pre-roasted turkey on hand. It is great way to get something extra out of your turkey. I used this Thanksgiving 2016.

• 1leftover turkey carcass
• 2large onions, sliced or cut up
• 4large carrots, cut up
• 4stalks of celery, cut up

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Put all the turkey bones and skin in a roasting pan. Meat left on the bones adds to the flavor. Break carcass apart so it fits better in the pan. Slice the onions and add to the pan. Rinse the celery and carrot and chop. Add to the pan and mix everything together.

Roast for 20 minutes. Turn over the turkey parts and stir the veg around putting some on top of the turkey. Roast for another 20 minutes. Mix everything around again. turning darker parts down. You are going for brown, not black. Roast for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven. If you have a bunch of fond (brown bits left in the pan), deglaze with a couple ounces of white wine and boil for a couple minutes to cook off the raw wine flavor. Put the roasted veg and any juices in a bowl. Scrape what’s left in the deglazed pan into the veg. Refrigerate.

Using tongs put all of the turkey bones, meat and skin in a 5-6 quart crock pot. Turn to high.

Add 1 gallon of water. Cover and let cook for 60-90 minutes. Should be at a mild simmer at this point. Skim any foam from top.  Turn the heat to low and set the timer for 6 ½ to 7 hours so the total is at least 8 hours. This is good to do overnight.

Remove and discard the turkey parts. Most crock ports recommend having the cover on while cooking to prevent evaporation.

I recommend doing the rest in a pot on the stove to reduce the liquid volume. Pour everything through a colander into a stock pot.

• 4bay leaves
• 1TBS pepper corns, cracked with a sauté pan
• 5or 6 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed (optional)
• fresh poultry herb mix or several sprigs fresh parsley and thyme

Add the refrigerated veg and all remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for an hour.

Using a fine sieve remove the veg from the pan. Increase the heat to high and cook the stock down until reduced to 2½ to 3 quarts. Cool and refrigerate, or freeze in pints or quarts.

Note: You should cool the stock quickly, not leave it for hours or place it directly in the refrigerator. The best way to cool the stock is to place the pot in a larger pot or bowl with a bunch of ice and a small amount of water.  Not too much, you don’t want it overflowing when the pot is added. Stir the stock every few minutes and it should be cool enough to refrigerate in under a half hour.