Turkey Stock

Thanksgiving is over but the leftovers are still in full force. It gets a bit tiring eating the same things over and over again, but I'm Asian and things can't be thrown away in my house. When I was young, my mom even told me that for every grain of rice left in my bowl, there would be one acne/pock mark on my future husband's face. Did I want to have a hideous husband? No? Then eat every bit of that rice. I can't wait to pass this on to my kids. And for once, it's not just my mom being crazy! Pam of Daily Gluttony or Rants & Craves and Amy Tan of The Joy Luck Club has also mentioned it.

Seeing the carcass of a turkey being thrown away is wasteful as well. There are still little bits of meat left on it. All those bits have to be picked off, otherwise you are being wasteful and will go to hell. For real. And then you make turkey stock.

turkey and veggies to be simmered

stock after simmering for 2.5 hours

a hearty pot of jelly stock

After simmering and making the house smell delicious for 5 hours, I got about 10 cups of stock. And look how it turns into jelly! That's because the bones simmered so long that the cartilage breaks down and the marrow seeps out. Broth jelly is as flavorful as you can get. Also, I was wasteful in throwing the vegetables and simmered turkey meat away. But my parents had me eat them before and they're horribly bland, rubbery and tasteless after being simmered for 5 hours. I did save the carrots to feed my puppy.

Turkey Stock
makes 2-3 quarts

1 turkey carcass
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 large onion, quartered with skin on
2 carrots, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp whole peppercorn
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and cover with waterabout two inches of water (2-3 quarts depending on how big the stock pot is). Bring to a boil over high heat and skim the foam that rises to the surface. Lower heat to a med-low simmer and simmer 4-6 hours with the lid off, stirring once an hour.

Turn off the heat and let everything come to room temperature. Skim off any fat that comes to the surface (there should be about 1/2-1 cups worth, maybe a bit less). Strain stock well into another pot. Use within a few days, or freeze in individual containers.