When the leaves glow with colour you know Fall is upon us, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Many people enjoy turkey as part of the holiday meal. With a waste-not, want-not attitude, I thought I’d focus on some of the ways to use the bird throughout the winter.
Turkey Stock, Stew and Pot Pies
Turkey Stock The turkey carcass makes a rich stock. My approach is to remove all remaining meat, empty the bird if you have stuffed it, break up some of the larger bones and place in a large stock pot or slow cooker with 2 celery stalks cut in large pieces, 2 small onions cut in 4, 3 medium carrots in large segments. A stem or two of thyme and a couple of peppercorns. Cover with water. Simmer in the stock pot for two hours or plug in the slow cooker when you go to bed on low so the stock will be ready in the morning. Strain through a sieve when cooled. Season with salt as desired. Freeze in food-grade containers with a 1-inch headspace. Or use silicone freezer flats designed for soups and stocks. The stock is put into rectangular blocks, then frozen. Pop out the blocks and vacuum seal if you are able. Otherwise, freeze the blocks in freezer bags. Turkey Stew and Pot Pies The foundation of any pot pie is really a stew. Left-over turkey combined with vegetables in a creamy sauce is perfect with or without a top.
Ingredients
- Pot Pie Foundation (aka turkey stew)
- 4 cups cooked turkey meat
- 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
- Precooking Vegetables:
- 1 bunch carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal
- 3-4 potatoes, scrubbed, cut into small cubes
- 2 cups pearl onions peeled
- 1 cup green beans, cleaned, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Lightly cook the vegetables in simmering turkey broth for 5 minutes. Keep the broth and scoop out the veggies for later.
- Build the Base:
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 onion diced or use leeks
- 3 celery stalks dices
- 2 cups small mushrooms sliced or cut in quarters or eighths depending on size.
- 1/3 cup flour (organic or gluten free)
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves chopped finely
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
- In a clean pot, melt butter. Sauté onions, leeks, celery and mushrooms to let them sweat. Then add flour and stir to combine. Cook the roux for 1 minute. Gradually add hot stock stirring constantly. Then add in remaining vegetables and turkey meat. Stir until the mixture thickens.
- When the mixture is thickened, cool before freezing. Decant the stew into individual foil, glass or food-grade plastic containers, in amounts suitable for 2 or for a family. When reheating to serve, add a dash of heavy cream (1/4 cup for a full family recipe).
Notes
Topping Options There are variations on the toppings and much debate about whether a top is needed! The hot stew with a green salad is great. If serving for guests or family, top the pot pie with vented puff pastry, pie crust, dumplings or a pre-baked biscuits. Any way you choose will satisfy one or a gang.
Pressure Canning
Both the stock and turkey stew can be pressure canned for long-term storage. As low acid foods, always follow an authoritative recipe such as the “Chicken Stew” recipe (substitute turkey for chicken) in the All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving Book or Chicken/Turkey Stock in the Bernardin cookbook or online. The stew recipe uses raw turkey as the processing time is 1 hour, 15 minutes which will cook the turkey. As with all pressure canned foods, do not add any thickening agents (like flour). When ready to serve, make a roux with butter, flour and hot broth from the canned turkey stew. Then add the turkey mixture. Serve straight-up or add one of the toppings.
Thanksgiving is the time to express gratitude to Mother Nature and to those to grow and prepare our foods. Happy Thanksgiving all.
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