It's easy to make and loaded with flavor.
Turkey Stock
1 Turkey carcass with any extra bones, neck and organs
1 celery rib
1 carrot
2 onions
mushroom stems
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional, but delicious (and harmless))
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Chop up your carcass into smaller pieces with a heavy knife or cleaver. The more exposed bone you have the better the stock will be.
You can brown off your turkey parts in a hot oven or hot pan, but I usually leave this step out as it tends to add a very dark flavor to the stock in my opinion. I like it lighter.
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| Celery |
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| Carrot |
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| Onions, Mushroom, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, Salt & MSG |
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| Water |
If you don't have a pressure cooker, let this simmer, topping with water as it gets low for a minimum of 5 hours and up to 10.
When finished, let the pressure drop and un-lid.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to squeeze out all the extra juice from the spent mass.
I usually filter this again through a paper towel lined strainer, but forgive me, I didn't get a pic of the process.
(see here for my Vegetable Stock using the same process)
I usually reduce the stock by half for easy storage.
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When this stock cools, it's thick and chock full of gelatin. You can dilute the stock with water if you reduced it before, making it very convenient to use.
It has a very intense turkey flavor without tasting too dark and is an essential part of my Thanksgiving meal preparations.
You'll never go back to chicken stock for your Thanksgiving needs after this!
Enjoy!
What kind of pressure cooker do you have? I've been meaning to buy one, but haven't found one like the snazzy Italian brand my dad has: http://www.braisogona.com/en/products/index/42/pressure-cooker. He swears by it and says it's much safer than older models of pressure cookers.
ReplyDeleteI have a Presto 6 quart (http://www.amazon.com/Presto-6-Quart-Stainless-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B00006ISG6) I'm not sure the difference between something like this and the Braisogona other than materials and fit and finish (?).
ReplyDeleteNow-a-days, every new pressure cooker you can find (maybe save for the super sketchy, off-brands) are completely safe. The stigma of pressure cookers blowing up is hard to shake but is really unfounded since the 80s.
That being said, I'm sure the locking mechanisms or pressure indicators could be better on a high end model of pressure cooker (over the Presto) but mine does what I want it to do for a very affordable price. I've used it probably once a week for over 2 years and it's still going strong. I look at mine as analog cooking equipment as there are even electric models that are programmable!
Bottom line, I think it's an essential piece of kitchen kit.