Homemade Turkey Brothfeatured
Thanksgiving is a huge culinary event for me every year. There are literally weeks and weeks of planning and preparation that go into that amazing day. Usually I start to yearn for the preparation process as the leaves begin to change colors and fall to the ground. Unfortunately for me I moved to a very warm climate a year ago and I was completely dismayed last year when I realized that it was November 20th and I hadn’t even ordered my turkey.
This year I have been determined to make sure that the same fate didn’t befall me again…maybe it is the party of 14 that will be having dinner at my house that really put the pressure on! So a few weeks ago I plugged in all the pumpkin spice oil warmers, started a daily burn of pumpkin scented candles and even began wearing cinnamon pumpkin scented body spray.
No luck! The weather here in Central Florida is keeping me from finding my inner pumpkin loving, turkey eating, sweater wearing self. So today I took drastic actions…I made turkey broth. If making everything smell like a cinnamon pumpkin wasn’t working, then making the house smell like Thanksgiving dinner surely would.
So here’s what I do every year for a no fail, super delicious turkey broth. It works great as a base for the turkey gravy and also moistens up the stuffing after it has been cooking on the grill. I love the slight sweetness in the broth from the addition of the apples – it is so complimentary to the turkey and the smoky flavor we get from cooking our turkey on the grill.
Because I am usually cooking for a big group of people, I tend to make a LOT of gravy and so I need a lot of stock as well. Although you get a neck and gizzards in your turkey, I typically source some additional parts because I do not want to have to wait until a few days before Thanksgiving to make this and one neck is just not enough. If you can’t find necks at your local grocery store, then feel free to use another dark meat like thighs or drumsticks. Also, gizzards can sometimes be hard to come by, so feel free to substitute chicken gizzards in a pinch. .
It’s also super easy to make. There’s no need to be fussy about knife skills and what size your pieces are because everything will be strained out of the broth anyways. Just cut everything down to a size and shape that makes it easier to fit into your pot and get cooking.
And don’t rush it…let it cook for hours and hours. The flavor will build and intensify as the time ticks away. On Thanksgiving night you will be so thankful that you took your time with this broth because it will help make your meal even more memorable.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg turkey necks (or drumsticks)
- 1 pkg turkey gizzards (or chicken gizzards)
- 1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 2 heads garlic, split in two
- 1 pkg bunch fresh sage
- ½ pkg fresh rosemary
- ½ pkg fresh thyme
- 4 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 2-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1-2 small apples, roughly chopped
- 1 jar turkey broth paste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large stockpot and brown the turkey meat over medium heat.
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside on a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the celery, carrots, and apples and sauté 2-3 minutes more.
- Stir in the fresh herbs then add 4 C water.
- Nestle the turkey pieces back into the pot and add water until everything is covered. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer. Leave the pot uncovered and softly simmer for 3-4 hours. Skim off any foam that accumulates during cooking.
- Continue to refill the pot with water to keep all the ingredients covered throughout the cooking process - approximately 8-12 additional cups of water.
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain the liquid to remove and discard all solids.
