Monday, November 28, 2011

Turkey Recycling

In an effort to show a little more appreciation this year for the delicious 13lb turkey we devoured on Thanksgiving, I decided to pick it over for leftovers as best I could,  then cook that sacrificial bird again.  And then again.  My kitchen smelled like Thanksgiving Part Deux on Friday, and now I have four quarts of homemade broth and a big pot of noodle soup for virtually zero work.  I'm feeling rather proud of my thrifty efforts and hope that somehow, in the end, I made the chopping block worth it for that tasty bird.

This works equally well on chicken, too, and multiplies the taste of that broth by at least a million.  I am sure that is a verifiable statistic.

Here's how easy it is to make homemade broth:

1.  Dump the carcass into a stew pot.
2.  Cover with water.
3.  Add two bay leaves, a handful of parsley (either or both is fine), a stalk or two of celery, a few slices onion, and maybe a piece of a carrot into the pot.  No real chopping required.  Add a little salt, too.
4.  Cover and boil for 30 minutes or until you remember you have a pot simmering on the stove.
5.  Strain.  

Repeat, if desired.  I did mine twice, and the 2nd batch was just as successful as the first.  Now it is ready to pour into ziplocks and freeze for the future, or it is the perfect base for a soup.  Adding some noodles, chopped celery, carrots and onions makes quick work of homemade noodle soup, and the rich broth means that very little seasoning is needed.


Gobble, gobble indeed.

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