Turkey Broth

When you have a turkey carcass after a holiday meal, use it to make broth. Highly prized by cooks in South Louisiana, it is used to make Turkey Bone Gumbo. Recipe coming right up. If you can talk a friend or neighbor out of their turkey carcass, so much the better because this broth freezes beautifully.

This recipe as well as the Turkey Bone Gumbo is from Emeril's Louisiana Real and Rustic. With a few minor changes of course.

Turkey Broth
2 quarts
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1 turkey carcass
3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces
2 medium onions, quartered
4 quarts of water, or enough to cover the carcass
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 bay leaves

1. Place the carcass in a large stockpot. Add the celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Remove from the heat. Skim any fat that has risen to the surface.

3. Strain through a large fine-mesh sieve. Reserve any meat that has fallen off the bones and pick off any meat that may still remain on the carcass. Reserve the onions and celery for gumbo. Use right away or store the broth in quart containers in the freezer.