2000s Recipes + Menus

Turkey Giblet Stock

Makes4 cups
  • Active Time:30 min
  • Start to Finish:3 1/2 hr
November 2005
We used what the turkey has to offer to create a base for the perfect gravy.
  • Neck and giblets (excluding liver) from turkey
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
  • 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Pat neck and giblets dry. Heat oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown neck and giblets, 10 to 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, until neck and giblets are very tender, about 3 hours. Pour stock through a large fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, reserving gizzard and heart for gravy if desired but discarding remaining solids. If using broth right away, let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat.
  • If stock measures less than 4 cups, add water. If more, boil, uncovered, in clean pot until reduced to 4 cups.
  • If not using stock right away, cool completely, uncovered, then chill, covered, before skimming fat (it will be easier to remove when cool or cold).
Pressure cooker option: Brown neck and giblets in a 6-quart pressure cooker, uncovered, according to procedure above. Reduce amount of water from 10 cups to 5 cups but keep remaining ingredients the same. Add remaining ingredients, seal pressure cooker with lid, and cook at high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions, 45 minutes. Put pressure cooker in sink (do not remove lid) and run cold water over lid until pressure goes down completely. Remove lid, then strain and measure stock according to procedure above.

Cooks' note: Stock can be chilled, covered, 3 days, or frozen 3 months.
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