ShareThisOnce the Thanksgiving turkey has gone from drumsticks to a pile of sticks, the bone of contention begins -- toss the carcass or make something of it?
The answer may have been easy when IPOs came often and SUVs were the car of choice. But in these more frugal times, consider putting the remains of the day into the stockpot.
"It's a shame to throw the carcass away, because there's lots of flavor to eke out," says Jennifer McLagan, chef and author of "Bones: Recipes, History & Lore."
"Bones are underrated because everyone thinks they're too much trouble to cook with, but the saying 'The nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat' is really true."
Although American cuisine has largely moved away from cooking meat in its original shape -- with the norm being skinless, boneless cuts packaged in foam and plastic -- Thanksgiving is a holiday for which the roasting of a whole turkey is still the tradition.
So it makes sense to glean every morsel possible from that sacrificial bird.
"In the past, every bit of bone, gristle, cock's comb, guts and feet was used in one way or another," says food historian Francine Segan. "No one should chuck the carcass; it's filled with yummy flavor and nutrients."
And if turning bones into stock seems tedious, Segan suggests breaking up the carcass, putting it inside cheesecloth and tossing it into the pot when boiling water for pasta.
"It'll add a lot of flavor to your turkey tetrazzini," she says.
For the most part, Americans seem to have forgotten how to cook all the parts of an animal, says McLagan.
"People are always looking for quick and fast, and steak off the bone is simpler," she says. "But how much nicer is a T-bone than a tenderloin steak? It just shows more thought and interest by the chef."
McLagan, who recently published the book, "Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes," also sees turkey skin as a treat. Simply broil it to make crisp and crunchy cracklings that can be used on top of soup, salads or even inside tea biscuits.
"I think people should be really careful to use every part," she says. "And in the end, I always love to pick up that bone and chew. There's something primal about it.
NONNI'S TURKEY VEGETABLE SOUP WITH RICOTTA DUMPLINGS
Serves 8
Recipe by Rick Rodgers in "The Turkey Cookbook: 138 New Ways To Cook America's Favorite Bird."
1 turkey carcass, chopped into large pieces
2 medium onions, chopped, divided use
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds, divided use
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch slices, divided use
About 12 cups cold water
4 sprigs parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup drained canned Italian peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or parsley
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
In a stockpot, combine turkey carcass, half the onion, half the carrot and half the celery. Add water to cover. Bring to boil over moderately high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
Add parsley, salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Set broth aside.
In another pot, heat oil. Add remaining chopped onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. One at a time, add remaining carrot, then celery, then zucchini, green beans and tomatoes, cooking each for 1 minute before adding next ingredient.
Strain broth into saucepan and add marjoram. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, stir together parmesan, ricotta, flour, egg, basil and nutmeg until smooth. With a dessert teaspoon, scrape a heaping mound of the cheese mixture. Using a second spoon, smooth into a dumpling and drop into simmering soup. Repeat to form all of the dumplings.
Simmer, partially covered, until the dumplings are cooked through, about 6 minutes.
TURKEY POT PIE
Serves 4
Recipe by Molly Hawks of Hawks restaurant in Granite Bay, Calif. Note: There will be leftover dough after the ramekins are lined and covered.
For pate brisee (3-2-1 dough):
3 pounds flour, sifted
2 pounds butter, small dice and chilled
2 cups water, chilled
For filling:
4 ramekins, 6 to 8 ounces
4 slices applewood smoked bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, diced small
2 carrots, peeled and diced medium
2 celery ribs, diced medium
2 turnips, peeled and diced medium
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped Italian parsley
3 cups cooked turkey, chopped
2 cups turkey gravy
1 egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper
Make the crust: Place flour in bowl of mixer and fit with paddle attachment. Turn mixer on low speed and gradually add butter. Allow butter to incorporate until reduced to pea size. (It is important that the butter be well-chilled before adding flour so as not to fully incorporate).
Slowly drizzle in water, adding just enough to barely bring the dough together in a ball. You may not need all the water.
Place dough onto a work surface and press loose pieces together to form a ball. Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out onto a floured surface until 1/4-inch thick. Line each ramekin with the dough and cut circles to generously cover the top of each pie. Allow the dough to slightly drape over the edges of the ramekins. Prick dough with fork and place in refrigerator to rest for one hour -- this will prevent the dough from shrinking while baking.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Leaving the tops in the refrigerator to chill, remove the ramekins. Line each with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove paper and beans and bake for another 20 minutes or until crisp and light brown. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees after removing ramekins.
Make the filling: Cut bacon into 1/2-inch squares and saute over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add butter to the bacon fat in the saute pan. Once melted, add chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat until tender and translucent. Add carrots, celery and turnip. Continue cooking until carrots are tender. Remove pan from heat and stir in thyme and parsley.
Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Add bacon and turkey. Heat gravy and pour over turkey and vegetables.
Assemble pies: Place the filling in the ramekins and cover with reserved dough lid. Crimp sides with a fork to seal and brush with beaten egg.
Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
ROASTED BIRD BROTH
Makes 9 cups
Recipe by Jennifer McLagan in "Bones: Recipes, History & Lore."
1 carcass from a 12- to 16-pound turkey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, unpeeled and halved
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/4 cup brandy
1 1-by-1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Break or chop turkey carcass into 3 or 4 pieces. Pour vegetable oil into a large roasting pan and add chopped turkey carcass, onion (the onion's skin will help color the broth), carrot and celery. Roast 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times.
Transfer turkey and vegetables to a large stockpot.
Pour off any fat from roasting pan and discard, then place pan over medium heat. Add brandy and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, deglazing pan by scraping browned bits at bottom. Pour into stockpot and add ginger, bay leaf and thyme.
Pour in about 10 cups cold water, or enough to almost cover the turkey pieces. Bring slowly to a gentle boil, skimming off any scum, and add peppercorns. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 2 hours.
Strain broth through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard debris left in sieve and cool broth quickly by placing in a large bowl or sink filled with ice water. Stir occasionally as it cools, then refrigerate overnight.
Remove any fat from top of broth before using and discard debris at the bottom of the bowl.
POST-THANKSGIVING SOUP
Serves 6
Recipe by Jennifer McLagan in "Bones: Recipes, History & Lore."
4-1/2 cups roasted bird broth (see accompanying recipe)
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger
1 cup diced cooked turkey
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely shredded mint leaves
Place broth in a large saucepan, add carrots and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add leeks and ginger. Cover and continue to cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes.
Add turkey and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer until turkey is heated through, about 2 minutes. Add mint and serve immediately.
BOK CHOY JOOK (OR CONGEE OR CHINESE RICE PORRIDGE)
Serves 6 to 8
Recipe adapted from "The Dim Sum Book: Classic Recipes From the Chinese Teahouse" by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.
1/2 cup rice, dry
1/2 cup sweet rice, dry
4-1/2 cups water
4 cups chicken broth (can substitute turkey broth)
3 cups white stalks of bok choy
5 cups bok choy leaves
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of white pepper
1 slice of fresh ginger
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil
Add rice, water and broth to a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil. Cover pot, leaving lid partially ajar. Reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking.
Cut bok choy leaves into 1/4-inch-by-4-inch slices, and the stalks into 1/4-inch pieces. About 10 to 15 minutes before jook is completely cooked, add bok choy stalks, salt, soy sauce, pepper and ginger. Mix together thoroughly and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat. Add peanut oil and mix well. Add bok choy leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
(E-mail Gina Kim at gkim(at)sacbee.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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