Post Thanksgiving Turkey Broth

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had family over for dinner at our house at noon (and for the the football game - Go Pack Go!), and in the evening we had another feast with more family.  It was wonderful to share so much great food with so many cherished family members and friends.

Today, I made broth by tossing a few key ingredients into a big old pot, and then the kids and I went to see a movie with my mother in law.  For dinner, we had leftover veggies and pie, along with an amazing dish my mother in law made last night; squash, peas and egg noodles all wrapped in a decadent cheesy Alfredo sauce and topped with a crunchy cracker topping.  By the time dinner was over, my broth was done and I have exactly 5 quarts of awesome broth from our most generous 14lb turkey.  I love the day after Thanksgiving almost as much as I love Thanksgiving day.

You know, I dislike the actual word for the left over turkey bones a great deal (so much so, in fact, that I'm not even going to type out the word either here or in the recipe itself).  So, in an effort to find a more...palatable...name for this very important part of the post Thanksgiving dinner, I checked the thesaurus for apt synonyms.  "Skeleton", "cadaver", "remains", "ruin", "frame", and "stiff" were definitely not going to work.  Neither were "crow bait", "food for worms", or "the defunct".  I thought about how to use something like "the departed", or "the loved one", but nothing sounded...edible.  "Nervous wreck" was listed, and that could have been fun, but possibly not so tasty in the end.  So, I'm quitting and just calling it "Post Thanksgiving Turkey Broth" because I think that way I might still consider eating it.

I'm planning to come back with a much better picture, but after hearing from several people that they toss the bones without making broth, I wanted to get this post out before that happened, and this was the only picture I could snap before it cooled completely.  So, without further ado, here is a rather simple recipe to a very delicious broth.

Post Thanksgiving Turkey Broth
cook time: 5-8 hours
quantity: depends on the size of the original turkey

5 quarts

• bones and wings from fully carved turkey
• 4-5 carrots, chopped into very large pieces
• 5-6 stalks celery, along with any leaves, chopped into very large pieces
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 5-6 cloves garlic (no need to peel)
• small handful of thyme sprigs (about 12 or a few more)
• 10-12 sprigs parsley
• 15-20 peppercorns
• 1-2 tsp sea salt
• enough water to cover everything 

Combine everything in a very large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, partially cover, and reduce heat to medium.

Go find something else to do for about 5 hours.

Begin checking for flavor after 5 hours.  The longer it is simmered, the fuller the broth.  Ideal simmering time is between 6-8 hours.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve (lined with a layer of cheesecloth for very clear broth, if desired) into a large bowl; discard bones and vegetables.  Cool.  Skim any fat.

Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock is both nutritious and delicious because of its use of bones and the long simmering time, both of which are key to achieving a concentrated, flavorful stock.  For the chicken parts, I use backs, legs, and if I've got them on hand, wings.  The reason I do this is two-fold; for one, these parts are generally less expensive (even organic, but it's unlikely you'll find them separated like this from the farmer) and because dark meat tends to have much more flavor in a situation like this.  Since no one at our house eats the wings when I bake chicken, I put them in an already established freezer bag filled with other wings.  I also will toss the backs and legs into the same bag if I'm only using the breasts in a specific dish.

After simmering, the stock will yeild about 2 quarts, and the chicken will produce about three cups of meat.  I divide the meat in half (1 1/2 c per package) and freeze it so I will be able to use it in two different dishes.

Chicken Stock
yeilds 2 quarts
cooking time: 6 hours

• 4-5 lbs chicken parts (preferably organic)
• 2 medium onions, cut into quarters
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into large chunks 
• 3-4 stalks celery, including leaves, cut into large chunks
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10-12 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 10-12 black peppercorns
• 6 qts water

Combine everything in a large stock pot.  

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer uncovered.  For the first hour, skim the foam from the top of the soup and discard.

Continue to simmer another 5 hours (for a total of 6 hours) or until liquid has reduced by about half.

You can see the original liquid line

Position a fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with 1 layer of cheese cloth over a large bowl or another stock pot. Slowly pour the stock into the strainer and allow the liquid to drain through.  Set the chicken and vegetables aside to cool.*  Check the stock and if there are any food or herb particles, strain again.  Set aside to cool, then refrigerate for several hours.

Once the stock has been refrigerated, the fat will rise to the top. Using a spoon or skimmer, remove the fat.

Your stock is now ready to use.  Refrigerate and use within three days, or freeze in appropriate portions for your cooking applications.

*Remove the chicken meat from the bones and skin.  There should be about three cups of meat.  Refrigerate and use within three days or freeze.  Mash the vegetables for use in thickening soups, if desired (or feed them to your dogs like I do - they love them!).

Versatile, Rich Vegetable Broth

I wasn't sure I wanted to spend an entire post on broth.  But then, as I considered all the cooking ahead for the next season (or two), broth is kind of an important component.  So, if you don't already know how to make a good, inexpensive broth, I'm posting this one for you.  Do you think a sequence of posts about broth basics would be helpful; chicken, beef, mushroom, etc?  If so, let me know.  Perhaps I can do a sort of "Broth Basics" set.

At any rate, with the season of soups, stews, dressings, and holiday cooking nearing (is it that time already?), broths and stocks are an indispensable pantry staple.   All summer long, I stash the ends of carrots, celery, onions, and the tops of garlic bulbs (cut to make roasted garlic with the rest of the bulb) in a large Ziploc bag in my freezer just so I can make gallons of vegetable broth to freeze for the season.  Vegetable broth is, in my opinion, the most versatile broth because it is flavorful enough to be used in many meat-based broth soup recipes, and rich enough to even take on the usually beef broth-based French Onion Soup.  It is inexpensive, and in some cases, down right free, because it can provide a use for all those parts of the vegetable we would usually toss out or compost.   And it's easy; there is little labor or time involved, no deboning or defatting, just a little chopping and dumping.  Love the vegetable broth.

Mostly comprised of root vegetables, this broth gains its earthiness from the mushrooms.  A basic button mushroom will suffice, but a meaty flavored portobello or cremini is ideal for that rich, full flavor.  And be sure to use the whole head of garlic - peeling isn't necessary, but do separate the cloves and crack them by smacking them with the side of a knife and remove the excess paper.

It's true that roasting the vegetables first will result in a richer broth, but I've found that giving them a good char in some oil in the stock pot works just as well.  If you choose to skip the first step, roast the vegetables tossed in olive oil in a 400F oven for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, before continuing on to the 2nd step.

I've added cup ratios for those of you who, like me, stash veggie ends in the freezer for the sole purpose of making broth.  If you are not using "parts", chop your vegetables into 1" pieces.  And, really, the amounts listed are just a guideline; use what you have. That's the wonderful thing about this broth.

Rich, Versatile Vegetable Broth
yield 2 quarts

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 cups largely chunked onion (1 1/2 large onions)
• 2 cups chunked carrots and peels (2-3 large carrots)
• 1 cup chunked celery, including leaves (2-3 stalks)
• 2 cups chunked leek, white and light green parts only (about 2 leeks)
• 1 bulb garlic, cloves cracked and separated, no need to peel
• 2-3 c roughly chopped cleaned mushrooms, including stems (about 8 oz)
• 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
• handful fresh parsley sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
• 10 cups water

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat.  Stir in vegetables, and cook 5-7 minutes or until lightly charred and semi-tender.

Add in thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns and water.

Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium.  Simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours.

Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl.  For an extra clear broth, line the strainer with 1 layer of cheese cloth.  Carefully pour the broth into the strainer.

Let the cooked vegetables rest and drain over the broth bowl for at least 5 minutes.  You can press the vegetables with the back of a large spoon to squeeze any remaining broth, but this will result in a cloudier broth (personally, I don't care, and I usually press).

Store in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze in usable amounts (I freeze in quarts).