Turkey Stock: save that carcass!

November 28, 5:06 PMDenver Food ExaminerAndrea Spikes

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Come to where the flavor is!
Stock is the building block of great soup.

It was not so long ago that families made every effort to avoid throwing away anything they cooked, because waste is not an option when you work hard to eke out a living in hard times. Sound familiar?

So what do you do with those turkey  bones after you've gorged yourself at the Thanksgiving table? Don't throw away that carcasss - boil it to smithereens and make a hearty stock instead.

Sound intimidating? It's actually pretty simple. So simple, in fact, that this recipe will make you wonder why you didn't do it last year or the year before, and might even help you justify buying the big bird in the first place.

Stock is the primary ingredient in a hearty turkey soup, and the flavor blows away the canned stuff. The key is long simmering with a handful of flavor-infusing  herbs and vegetables.

Recipe adapted from "The Best Soups and Stews" by The Editors of Cook's Illustrated.

If you only cook a turkey breast, cut the recipe in half. You'll still have enough to start a batch of soup.

Basic Turkey Stock

1 carcass from a 12-14 pound turkey, cut into 5 rough pieces

1 large onion, peeled and halved

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 large celery stalk, peeled and roughly chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed

2 cups dry white wine

1 bay leaf

4-5 quarts water

5 sprigs fresh parsley

3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1. Combine the carcass, vegetables, garlic, wine, bay leaf, wine and water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Skim any fat or foam that rises to the surface. Set heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Add parsley and thyme, and continue simmering for another 2 hours (continue skimming fat as needed).

2. Strain the stock through a large strainer into a large bowl. Remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Discard the solids. Refrigerate the stock in an airtight container up to 2 days, or freeze for several months.

Note: Defat the stock before using it in a recipe. Two ways to do this are:

1. Refrigerate the stock until the fat rises to the surface and congeals. Then use a spoone to scrape the fat off the surface of the stock.

2. Use a gravy skimmer.