Don’t Go Cold Turkey!
We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, and to the leftovers after! We always get a turkey bigger than what we need for Thanksgiving dinner itself because we so enjoy extending the feast. If you make soup, such as the recipe from this past week’s Berkshire Eagle column, some can go in the freezer and you can extend Thanksgiving even longer!
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING LEFT OVER
by Elizabeth Baer
Timing is everything. Now that it is November, we can start thinking about Thanksgiving in earnest! Our kids love turkey, stuffing, and gravy, so much so that when they were in school, I would sometimes make that dinner on a random Sunday so that we would have leftovers for the week. Especially when I’d look at the upcoming schedule of afterschool and evening commitments and realize we’d need a couple of easy meals for when some of us would have different timing for the dinner hour, the leftovers meant everyone could choose to make a plate or a sandwich as preferred.
It should come as no surprise, then, that as much as we all in our family love the main event, we also do love everything you can get out of turkey leftovers. Last year, I made a turkey mushroom barley soup after Thanksgiving that everyone agreed was particularly delicious, but, of course, I didn’t want to put it into a column in December! Thus I’ve been sitting on this recipe for almost an entire year! Now that we are in the Thanksgiving month, the timing is right so you can keep this in mind and plan to make it after the big event. It even freezes well, as most soups do, so you can extend your gratitude for Thanksgiving well into the winter.
TURKEY MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP
Makes 4-5 quarts soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or other dried wild mushrooms
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 pound fresh mushrooms, preferably a blend with some shiitake, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 gallon turkey stock or broth, see recipe below, or store-bought
1 cup barley, whole or pearled (farro would probably work as well, though I haven’t tried it)
1 cup (approximately) shredded turkey, see recipe below, or other leftover shredded poultry
DIRECTIONS:
Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water. It need not be boiling water if your tap runs hot. Let sit to allow the mushrooms to rehydrate.
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and celery with ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Add the fresh mushrooms with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until all the mushrooms are softened and have given up most of their liquid.
Strain the dried mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid. Chop and add to the pot with the carrots and parsnips.
Strain the dried mushroom soaking liquid and add to the pot. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the barley, stir, and allow the soup to return to a boil before turning down to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender. Add the shredded turkey and warm through. How much turkey you add is up to you, depending on preference and how much liquid the barley has absorbed. Add salt and pepper to taste as desired.
HOMEMADE TURKEY STOCK
Makes about 1 gallon stock
INGREDIENTS:
Turkey carcass plus other bones with leftover meat
6 quarts cold water
2 onions keeping on any skin that doesn’t fall off, halved through the root
2 stalks celery, cut in large pieces
1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut in large pieces
2 sprigs parsley (optional)
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
Break apart the turkey carcass as needed to fit into a large stockpot. Add any other bones, especially any bones with tougher meat attached that might not otherwise get eaten, such as legs. Add 6 quarts cold water to cover, or more if needed. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Once there seems to be little or no more foam rising to the top, add the onions, celery, carrot, parsley (if using), peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt. Moderate the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook for two hours.
Allow the stock to cool slightly, then use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the vegetables, meat, and bones to a bowl. Strain the stock into a large container or multiple smaller containers and place in the refrigerator to cool fully. Once cool, remove any fat that has solidified on top. You should have about a gallon of stock.
Discard the vegetables, and shred and place any meat into a separate bowl, stripping as much as possible from the bones. Food prep gloves are very helpful for this task. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge until ready to make the soup.