Turkey carcass
Turn your turkey carcass into a gumbo.
Turkey Bone Gumbo
Roux:
1 cup fat—like sunflower oil and lard
1 heaping cup all purpose flour
Seasoning vegetables & sausage:
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 ½ cups chopped green pepper
3 cups chopped yellow or white onion
Salt
Black pepper
1 pound Andouille or country sausage, preferably smoked, cut into bite size pieces
Turkey & turkey stock:
Turkey carcass, picked of at much meat as possible and reserved
1 gallon water
3 Bay leaves
A pinch of cayenne
A handful of fresh thyme sprigs or a teaspoon of dried thyme
A handful of Parsley stems
1 onion, quartered, plus the skins from your chopped onion seasonings
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 stalks of celery, plus ends and pieces from your chopped celery seasonings
Ends and pieces from your chopped green pepper seasonings
A couple of smashed garlic gloves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 whole allspice berries, optional
A few drops of hot sauce
Several pinches of salt
To Finish:
1 cup chopped scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped parsley
Buttered white rice
File powder, delicious, but optional
Hot sauce
1. First assemble all of your seasonings and have them at the ready and your stock well under way before you begin making your roux.
2. In a large stock pot, start your turkey stock. Your carcass needs to be fully submerged under water. It will likely be necessary to cut your carcass down the breast bone or into several pieces to make this happen. Bring the stock to a gentle boil, then turn down to a steady slow simmer and cook for about 2 hours. Taste stock for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the carcass from the stock and set aside to let cool. When cool enough to handle, meticulously pick the meat from it and set aside. Strain the stock and reserve.
3. Make your roux: In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat your oil over medium to medium high heat. Whisk in your flour. Stir continuously until your roux is the color of dark brown sugar or chocolate. This may take 45 minutes or more. Take turns stirring with your friends or family, but keep stirring. A burned roux is a sad, sad thing. If you are afraid that your roux is burning, turn down your heat.
4. Dump your vegetable seasonings - onion, celery, and green pepper- into your roux and stir. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add your sausage and cook 5 minutes more.
5. Next whisk in gradually about 8 cups of stock. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Add your reserved turkey meat and simmer another 10 minutes then stir in your parsley and scallions. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as desired.
Serve over hot, buttered rice and pass the hot sauce and file powder at the table.
Turkey Bone Gumbo
Roux:
1 cup fat—like sunflower oil and lard
1 heaping cup all purpose flour
Seasoning vegetables & sausage:
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 ½ cups chopped green pepper
3 cups chopped yellow or white onion
Salt
Black pepper
1 pound Andouille or country sausage, preferably smoked, cut into bite size pieces
Turkey & turkey stock:
Turkey carcass, picked of at much meat as possible and reserved
1 gallon water
3 Bay leaves
A pinch of cayenne
A handful of fresh thyme sprigs or a teaspoon of dried thyme
A handful of Parsley stems
1 onion, quartered, plus the skins from your chopped onion seasonings
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 stalks of celery, plus ends and pieces from your chopped celery seasonings
Ends and pieces from your chopped green pepper seasonings
A couple of smashed garlic gloves
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
2 whole allspice berries, optional
A few drops of hot sauce
Several pinches of salt
To Finish:
1 cup chopped scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped parsley
Buttered white rice
File powder, delicious, but optional
Hot sauce
1. First assemble all of your seasonings and have them at the ready and your stock well under way before you begin making your roux.
2. In a large stock pot, start your turkey stock. Your carcass needs to be fully submerged under water. It will likely be necessary to cut your carcass down the breast bone or into several pieces to make this happen. Bring the stock to a gentle boil, then turn down to a steady slow simmer and cook for about 2 hours. Taste stock for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the carcass from the stock and set aside to let cool. When cool enough to handle, meticulously pick the meat from it and set aside. Strain the stock and reserve.
3. Make your roux: In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat your oil over medium to medium high heat. Whisk in your flour. Stir continuously until your roux is the color of dark brown sugar or chocolate. This may take 45 minutes or more. Take turns stirring with your friends or family, but keep stirring. A burned roux is a sad, sad thing. If you are afraid that your roux is burning, turn down your heat.
4. Dump your vegetable seasonings - onion, celery, and green pepper- into your roux and stir. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add your sausage and cook 5 minutes more.
5. Next whisk in gradually about 8 cups of stock. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1 ½ hours. Add your reserved turkey meat and simmer another 10 minutes then stir in your parsley and scallions. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as desired.
Serve over hot, buttered rice and pass the hot sauce and file powder at the table.
