What’s better, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner or the delicious leftovers? For me, the answer has always been the latter, especially the leftover turkey.
This year, I had dinner with friends in San Francisco. I made the vegetable side dishes (Brussels sprout leaves sauteed with bacon and shallots; braised leeks with garlic vinaigrette and egg mimosa), a salad (butter lettuce, pomegranates, persimmons and avocado with lemon vinaigrette) and cranberry-pear compote. Jim and John made appetizers, turkey and dressing and Jim’s sister brought mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. John’s sister-in-law Pat made extraordinary desserts; her Jewish Apple Cake was perfect for breakfast on Friday morning.
But the best part was the Diestel turkey carcass, which came home with me. I have already turned it into a delicious stock; tomorrow, there will be Turkey Barley Soup for dinner, with enough stock leftover for turkey risotto, turkey gumbo or bread soup with turkey and sage.
Whenever I am tempted to go a nontraditional route for Thanksgiving, I think of how much I’ll miss the turkey carcass. I feel the same way when I consider an invitation to join friends. What will happen with the carcass? I always wonder. I suppose I am a bit of a fanatic on this topic. This year, I am thankful for Jim and John’s generosity (and, in all honesty, their busy schedule.)
In Part 2 of this post, I’ll provide recipes for all the dishes I mention above. But whichever you may choose to make, you must start with turkey stock. You can do it simply, with nothing more than the meaty carcass and a lot of water simmered for hours over low heat. If you don’t have time to make something with the stock, freeze it in 2-cup batches and use it at your leisure. Or if you feel a cold coming on, strain the stock, season it with salt and pepper and sip it as a restorative.
If you need a recipe for turkey stock, here’s the one I have used for years.
Basic Turkey Stock
Makes about 8 to 10 cups
- 1 cooked turkey carcass, large pieces of meat removed
- turkey neck, giblets, or other leftover turkey parts
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium sprig (6 to 8 leaves) fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- Place the turkey carcass, other turkey parts, bay leaves, sage sprig, and peppercorns in a large soup pot with 4 quarts of water, set over high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Skim off and discard any foam that forms on top and simmer, partially covered, for about 3 to 4 hours, until the turkey falls apart. Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a strainer lined with cheesecloth; discard everything but the stock and let it cool to room temperature. Skim off the fat on the surface of the stock and discard it. There should be 8 to 10 cups of stock; add water if necessary, or simmer over medium heat until reduced to the correct amount.
- Use immediately, cool and refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
