How to Make Brown Stock (Step-By-Step)

So, you've made a fabulous turkey for your holiday feast. Maybe you tried the Husband-Tested Recipe for Roast Turkey. Don't throw out the carcass just yet. You'll be able to make a really flavorful stock with it which you'll be able to use for soups and sauces. 

First, take the meat off the bones and use for salads, sandwiches and soups. Place the carcass on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a couple of carrots and a halved onion. (No need to peel them.) Add a couple of celery stalks. Cut a whole head of garlic in half crossways. (No need to peel it either.) Place half of it on the sheet pan, but set aside the other half to put in the stock later. Drizzle some olive oil over the carcass and the veggies. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Heat the oven to 425 F. Pop the pan in the oven and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the carcass is toasty brown and the veggies are brown and tender.

Have a very large pot ready to go. Place all the roasted veggies and the roasted carcass into the pot. Place the sheet pan on top of the stove. Add a bit of dry sherry or white wine, about 1/3 of a cup. Turn on the heat and using a spatula, scrap up the browned bits.

Place all the roasted veggies, the roasted carcass and the browned bits and liquid from the sheet pan into the pot. Add enough water to cover the carcass and veggies. Add the other half of the head of garlic, a few whole peppercorns, and a couple of whole cloves. To make it really nice, add a few dried porcini mushrooms and a bay leaf. You can also put in a couple more carrots, celery stalks and another onion. (No peeling needed.) If you have fresh herbs, you can add those as well, but it's not necessary.

Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer 3 hours over low heat. (By now your house will smell quite wonderful.) Turn off the heat and let the stock come to room temperature. Pour stock through a large sieve set over a heatproof bowl; discard solids. Place the stock in the fridge to chill. Fat will come to the top and solidify. Skim the fat off the top and discard. Cooled stock can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen several months in airtight containers.

Now that you have a fabulous stock, you'll be able to use it for soups, stews, dressing, sauces and gravy; anything calling for chicken or turkey stock/broth. Here's a lovely Husband-Tested Recipe for Lemon Turkey Soup with Fresh Spinach and Pasta in which you can use some of your stock.