Don’t throw out that turkey carcass! Let’s use it to make a mean stock that can be the base to some wonderful recipes like this Cajun Stew or this One-Pot Chicken with Veggies Dish.
When you make your own stock you can tweak the flavors to your liking. You also get more control of the sodium. If you’ve been following my posts for awhile, you may have seen me caution my readers about the sodium content in store-bought stocks and broths. Yes, they are convenient, but some store-bought broths and stocks have up to 955 mg (39% DV) of sodium per serving. That’s a lot! To learn more about recommended sodium intake and the risks associated with too much sodium, take a look at the post associated with my Zucchini Farro Pilaf recipe.
For this stock recipe I used the carcass from my 24-pound Friendsgiving turkey but you can do this recipe with a smaller bird (say, 10 lbs and larger). Feel free to adjust the ingredients to fit your tastes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes . Cook Time: 2+ hours . Yield: Serves 16
1 Roasted Turkey Carcass (including legs, wing and neck boneless preferably)
2 Carrots, coarsely chopped
2 Large Onions, coarsely chopped
4 Stalks Celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 Tbsp Allspice Berries
1/2 Tbsp Cloves
1/2 Tbsp Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
6 Sprigs Thyme
3 Sprigs Rosemary
Head of Garlic, sliced in half
4 to 6 Quarts of Water
1. Break carcass into 4 to 5 pieces. Combine carcass, water and remaining ingredients into a stockpot saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
2. Simmer for about 2 to 4 hours, while occasionally removing foam and fat from top of the broth. Add more water if necessary.
3. Remove solid ingredients by straining broth through a large metal colander or sieve. Discard solids; let broth cool before refrigerating or freezing. Refrigerate for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 2 months.
