Thanksgiving is right around the corner! If you want to add that extra bit of oomph to your meal you can make your own turkey stock. Use homemade stock in your stuffing and/or your gravy and you won’t be disappointed!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 Turkey backs – you can find these in the poultry section of your grocery store
- 2 Whole turkey wings
- 1 sprig of sage
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stocks
- 2 medium onions
- Twine
- Stock Pot
First, put the turkey backs and wings into a stock pot and cover with cold water. Boil for about 45 minutes or until the meat on the bones is cooked. Remove the backs and wings from the pot once cooked, pat them dry, let them cool, and then shred the meat off the bones using two forks. Save the meat you remove from the bones. This could be used to make a delicious turkey salad or you could even add it to your stuffing!
Strain the remaining broth through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove any collected fat and grime.
Wash any leftover grime from the stock pot, then add the cleaned bones back in and cover with the strained broth. While its boiling, scum from any left over meat or fat on the bones will raise to the top of the pot. Skim it off with a spoon and discard.
Now prepare your vegetables (also known as a mirepoix). I wanted to try out my new camera that Mom got me so here is a quick video on how to prepare a mirepoix! Thanks Mom!! If I wasn’t recording a mirepoix video, I would have just cut my vegetables into large chunks. You don’t really need a fine dice for stock.
Add the vegetables to the stock and reduce the heat to medium low so the stock comes to a simmer.
Take the herbs and bay leaves and tie them together with some twine to make what is called a bouquet garni.
Add your herbs and peppercorns to the stock and let simmer for up to 5 hours.
After the stock simmers for about 5 hours, strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove all the bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
Notice I did not salt my stock. I am going to brine our turkey this year so the drippings that come off the turkey are already going to be salty. I don’t want to add salty stock to my gravy and have an overly salty gravy. If you are using your stock for anything else you can always heat up a small amount on the stove and add as much salt as you want.
Once your stock is strained, cool it down as fast as possible. I sometimes put some ice packs in it to speed up the cooling process.
Once it is cooled you can store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 5 months.
Let us know what you use your stock for!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
