Poultry Stock
Ingredients
2½ to 3 lbs. turkey or chicken parts (back, wings or other bones), rinsed and roasted or un-roasted, as desired*Neck and giblets (excluding the liver**) from 1 14- to 16-lb. turkey, rinsed
2 quarts cold water
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots (4 to 5 oz.), coarsely chopped
1 large (about 8 oz.) onion, coarsely chopped (including the peels)
1 leek (about 6 oz.), sliced and washed well
2 dried bay leaves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme
Preparation
• Place the turkey or chicken parts and turkey neck in a large, 6- to 7-quart stock pot. Add the turkey giblets. Pour in the cold water and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and skim off the scum that has risen to the surface with a small strainer. Add the vegetables, bay leaves, parsley and thyme. Let the stock simmer, uncovered, at least 3 hours, skimming any additional scum that surfaces. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent boiling.
• Strain the stock into a fat separator to remove the poultry parts and vegetables. Save the giblets if you intend to add them to gravy or some other preparation.
• Pour the de-fatted broth into a shallow container then quickly chill to lukewarm in a sink filled with ice water. Transfer the stock to the refrigerator to thoroughly chill. (If you do not have a fat separator, simply chill the stock in the fridge and then remove the congealed fat layer from the surface.)
• Cover the stock once it has completely cooled. It can be stored for about a week in the fridge, or up to 2 or 3 months in the freezer.
* For a darker, more intensely flavored stock, roast the bones in a hot (400-degree) oven before adding the water.
** Because liver clouds the stock and imparts a strong flavor, it is typically excluded.
