If any of you froze your turkey bones along with some meat with the idea of making some good home-made turkey soup, here is a wonderful recipe that we found printed in the Chicago Tribune food section. (www.chicagotribune.com)
This recipe originally came from a story written by Regina Schrambling for the paper in 2003. If you didn’t save the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving or Christmas, go to your local butcher and ask for turkey bones. Many will be more than happy to wrap them up for you for free!
You will note that the total prep time is more than we usually give you, however we feel that this delicious soup is well worth the time and effort. Let us know if we are right---or way-y-y-y off base!
Turkey Gumbo with Artichokes and Andouille
Total time: 4 to 7 hours for stock, about 1 1/2 hours for gumbo
Servings: 8-10
Stock
1 roasted turkey carcass
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled or scrubbed and chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch parsley, leaves and stems, rinsed well and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1. Place the turkey carcass, meatiest side down, in a large stockpot. Fill the pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil and skim any scum off the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the carcass to a carving board; let it sit until cool enough to handle.
2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaf to the water in the stockpot and continue simmering.
3. Shred or cut any remaining meat off the carcass and set it aside in a bowl; cover and refrigerate.
4. Return the bones to the stockpot and continue simmering, adding just enough water every hour to cover. Cook until the stock is rich and aromatic, at least 3 hours or up to 6.
5. Cool, then strain, discarding solids. (If you have time, refrigerate the stock until it's well-chilled, then lift off the fatty top layer and discard.)
Gumbo
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 tsps. dried thyme
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne
Pinch ground allspice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
7 cups stock
Turkey bits reserved from stock-making
4 links andouille sausage, diced (about 3 cups diced)
20 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Hot sauce to taste
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat until bubbly. Add the flour all at once and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns deep mahogany brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Do not allow it to burn or you will have to start over.
2. When the roux is sufficiently colored, add the garlic, onion, celery, red and green pepper, thyme, cayenne, allspice and bay leaf. Stir quickly until the roux cools slightly and the vegetables start to soften. Stir in the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are well-wilted, about 20 minutes.
3. If the stock has cooled, heat it in a saucepan. Raise the heat under the Dutch oven and pour in the hot stock. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring rapidly.
4. Add the reserved turkey bits and the diced andouille. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors blend and the liquid is somewhat thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in the artichoke hearts and simmer 5 minutes longer.
5. Season with pepper to taste and more salt if needed. Serve hot over rice, with chopped green onions for garnish and hot sauce for extra heat, or cool and refrigerate and serve the following day (the flavor only improves). Or cool the gumbo completely and freeze for up to six months.
Each of 10 servings: 371 calories; 15 grams protein; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 39 mg. cholesterol; 1,096 mg. sodium.
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