Turkey Stock
Author: Alex Recker
This recipe yields about 1 gallon of stock. It is made in two stages:
- White Stock - gently simmering meat and vegetables together to form a clearish yellow colored stock
- Brown Stock - simmering roasted and seared meat in the white stock to form a rich brown colored stock
General rules for making good stock:
- Do not over-boil the stock at any point. This will encourage impurities to break down and infiltrate your flavor profile.
- Do not let stock sit in the fridge for longer than 3-4 days. Instead, re-freeze and thaw as needed.
- Always bring stock to a simmer before using in food and consuming.
Materials
- water, cold (excess)
- turkey necks, defrosted (7-8)
- turkey wings, full sized, defrosted (4)
- carrots, full sized (2)
- celery (4 sticks)
- onion (1)
- peppercorns, whole (2 tbsp)
Procedure
Make the White Stock
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Rinse and pat try 4 turkey necks and 2 turkey wings. Use a knife to separate the turkey wings into drums, flats, and tips.
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Add the necks and wing pieces into a big stock pot. Cover with cold water and gently bring to a simmer.
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Use a spider, ladle, or a wide spoon to skim off the foamy, off colored scum from the top.
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Top off with cold water, then let come to a boil again. Skim the scum again as before. Repeat the process of adding cold water, letting come to a boil, and skimming the scum as needed until a layer of scum does not form.
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Roughly chop 2 celery sticks, 1 full sized carrot, and 0.5 onions and add to the stock. Add 1 tbsp of whole peppercorns.
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Gently simmer the stock for 3-4 hours (or until the meat is falling off the bone).
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Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Use tongs to remove large pieces from the stock and discard. Strain the stock into a clean container and refrigerate over night.
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The next day, use a wide spoon to skim and remove the waxy layer of fat that settled on the top. Move the remaining stock into clean containers and freeze until next use.