Turkey Stock and Broth

Throwing out the carcass is the single biggest waste of a good bird. An hour of doing almost nothing turns it into several litres of stock, and the broth you make from it is the best thing you will eat all week.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey carcass, broken up to fit the pot
• 2 onions, halved, skins left on
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• A few parsley stalks
• Cold water to cover, about 3.5 litres

Method

1. Step 1

   Break down the carcass

   Pull off any remaining meat and set it aside for the broth. Break or cut the carcass so it sits below the water line in your largest pot.

2. Step 2

   Start from cold

   Add the vegetables, bay, peppercorns and parsley stalks. Cover with cold water. Starting cold draws more flavour out than dropping it into boiling water.

3. Step 3

   Simmer, do not boil

   Bring slowly to a bare simmer and hold it there for three hours. Skim off any scum in the first twenty minutes. A rolling boil makes the stock cloudy and greasy.

4. Step 4

   Strain and cool

   Strain through a sieve and discard the solids. Cool quickly, then chill. The fat sets on top and lifts off in one piece the next day.

5. Step 5

   Make the broth

   For broth, bring a litre of stock to a simmer with the reserved meat, some diced carrot and leek, and a handful of small pasta or barley. Simmer until tender and finish with parsley.