- 1
- 2
- next
- | single page
Stock up: Make sure you have plenty of turkey stock on hand for Thanksgiving, writes author Sam Sifton. It's crucial for everything from pre-feast prep to warming up the leftovers. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune) |
Turkey stock may be to Thanksgiving feast what Windex was to the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": A miracle cure-all elixir. So useful is it that journalist Sam Sifton calls it "a Thanksgiving secret weapon" that can carry you from pre-feast prep to the inevitable question of what to do with the leftover carcass days after the holiday.
"Having a lot of turkey stock on hand is crucial to the preparation of a good Thanksgiving meal," writes Sifton in his new book, "Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well." "It ought to be the first thing you prepare, in fact, on Thursday morning, if not before."
Sifton, a former New York Times restaurant critic and now the newspaper's national editor, uses stock to pump up the gravy's flavor, keep the dressing (aka stuffing) moist while baking and warm the turkey slices on their way to the dining table. He even, on one occasion, has used it to make a tasty risotto for a kid who didn't like potatoes.
"It's a cheat, but a good one," Sifton said of stock's use as a "meat heater." While he urges readers to warm their plates and platters before serving, he knows getting everyone to sit down at the right time is like "herding cats;" food temperatures can and will drop during the wait. A couple of spoonfuls of hot stock gives the meat a little heat and keeps it from drying out.
"If you cook the bird the way I tell you to cook it, you shouldn't have a dry turkey," Sifton said in a telephone interview from New York City. "Even if the turkey is supermoist, you can still put some on. Just don't drown the bird. Use, at most, 1/2 cup."
Luckily, making that basic all-purpose turkey stock is a no-brainer. Drop the turkey neck in a pot with some onions, carrots and celery, add water and let it simmer away on a back burner all day.
"It gets better over the course of the day," he says.
While this basic stock is simple and quick to prepare, Sifton also offers a more luxe or "serious" version that can be made in advance using turkey drumsticks and wings. It's a recipe that, ideally, should cook overnight and is aimed at those Type A's who have to make everything as perfect as possible. Sifton understands their passion.
"If I was running a restaurant called 'Thanksgiving,' I would have serious stock on hand," he said. "It's ludicrous for me to say to anyone that they must make a turkey stock a week beforehand. It would be awesome if you did, but you don't need to."
Sifton's third turkey stock is a post-Thanksgiving treat.
"You may believe you are done with your turkey when the last shred of meat comes off its carcass, some time after the holiday has passed," he writes. "But you are just starting your journey. A turkey stripped of meat signals time to make a final turkey stock of the holiday, which works beautifully for gumbo, soups, beans — for any recipe where you might require chicken stock."
Turkey stock 3 ways
Note: Sam Sifton offers three ways to make turkey stock in his new book, "Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well." The first version is called "quick" because the prep work is so easy; the stock does simmer all day but with little fuss.
1. Quick
1 turkey neck
1 Spanish onion, peeled, cut in half
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, cleaned, cut into large pieces
Put neck, onion, carrot and celery in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water. Place the pot over high heat; heat to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer all day.
"Having a lot of turkey stock on hand is crucial to the preparation of a good Thanksgiving meal," writes Sifton in his new book, "Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well." "It ought to be the first thing you prepare, in fact, on Thursday morning, if not before."
Sifton, a former New York Times restaurant critic and now the newspaper's national editor, uses stock to pump up the gravy's flavor, keep the dressing (aka stuffing) moist while baking and warm the turkey slices on their way to the dining table. He even, on one occasion, has used it to make a tasty risotto for a kid who didn't like potatoes.
"It's a cheat, but a good one," Sifton said of stock's use as a "meat heater." While he urges readers to warm their plates and platters before serving, he knows getting everyone to sit down at the right time is like "herding cats;" food temperatures can and will drop during the wait. A couple of spoonfuls of hot stock gives the meat a little heat and keeps it from drying out.
"If you cook the bird the way I tell you to cook it, you shouldn't have a dry turkey," Sifton said in a telephone interview from New York City. "Even if the turkey is supermoist, you can still put some on. Just don't drown the bird. Use, at most, 1/2 cup."
Luckily, making that basic all-purpose turkey stock is a no-brainer. Drop the turkey neck in a pot with some onions, carrots and celery, add water and let it simmer away on a back burner all day.
"It gets better over the course of the day," he says.
While this basic stock is simple and quick to prepare, Sifton also offers a more luxe or "serious" version that can be made in advance using turkey drumsticks and wings. It's a recipe that, ideally, should cook overnight and is aimed at those Type A's who have to make everything as perfect as possible. Sifton understands their passion.
"If I was running a restaurant called 'Thanksgiving,' I would have serious stock on hand," he said. "It's ludicrous for me to say to anyone that they must make a turkey stock a week beforehand. It would be awesome if you did, but you don't need to."
Sifton's third turkey stock is a post-Thanksgiving treat.
"You may believe you are done with your turkey when the last shred of meat comes off its carcass, some time after the holiday has passed," he writes. "But you are just starting your journey. A turkey stripped of meat signals time to make a final turkey stock of the holiday, which works beautifully for gumbo, soups, beans — for any recipe where you might require chicken stock."
Turkey stock 3 ways
Note: Sam Sifton offers three ways to make turkey stock in his new book, "Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well." The first version is called "quick" because the prep work is so easy; the stock does simmer all day but with little fuss.
1. Quick
1 turkey neck
1 Spanish onion, peeled, cut in half
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into large pieces
1 rib celery, cleaned, cut into large pieces
Put neck, onion, carrot and celery in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water. Place the pot over high heat; heat to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer all day.
